Based on Shen Jiji's romance story A Tale within the Pillow, The Handan Dream is about a scholar named Lu Sheng who drifts into sleep by sleeping upon the magnetic pillow offered by the immortal Lv Dongbin. In his dream, Lu Sheng gets married with Miss Cui and wins the first place in the imperial exam by bribing officials widely.

However, being framed by the Prime Minister Yuwen Rong out of intense hatred, he is sent to dig the canals in other prefectures and stretch out territory along the borders. Seeing him achieve great success in those duties, Yuwen Rong fabricates treason charges against Lu Sheng, who is immediately sent to Yun Yang for execution. Fortunately, his wife voices grievances for him by submitting a rayon cotton complaint to the emperor, and Lu Sheng narrowly escapes the calamity.

As a result, the obsequious officials are executed and Lu returns to the imperial court serving as the Prime Minister, getting his wife and children rewarded by heritage and enjoying a lifetime of splendor and wealth. After he died, he wakes up to find himself still lying in the bed of the hotel in Handan. Enlightened, he starts to learn Daoism from Lv Dongbin.

Venue: Theatre， No. 2 West Chang’an Avenue, Xicheng District

Dates: Jul. 16, 2016

Source: www.chncpa.org