On the occasion of the premiere at the Teatro Real of the work Romeo and Juliet by Charles-François Gounod, Centro Casa Asia-Madrid (calle Mayor, 69) is organizing a conference next Wednesday at 6 PM dedicated to one of the most emblematic love stories of Chinese culture, that of Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai, known as The Butterfly Lovers.
This moving legend tells the story of Zhu Yingtai, a young woman who disguises herself as a man to gain access to education, thus challenging the restrictions imposed on women of her time, and her tragic romance with Liang Shanbo. Often considered the Chinese equivalent of Romeo and Juliet, this legend explores the deep tension between individual desire, fate, and established social structures.
Beyond its romantic dimension, the story centrally addresses themes such as freedom, sacrifice, and the struggle against conventions, as the protagonists represent emotional and moral resistance against a restrictive social order. In this sense, the final transformation of the lovers into butterflies symbolizes ultimate liberation and the conquest of absolute freedom beyond social and human limitations.
The conference will explore the cultural, symbolic, and artistic value of this legend in its historical contexts, its presence in the performing arts, literature, music, and cinema, and its current relevance as a universal metaphor.
Following the presentation by Carmen Bedoya, Programming Coordinator at Centro Casa Asia-Madrid, Andreas Janousch, Director of the Confucius Institute of Madrid and Professor of History and Religion of China at the Center for East Asian Studies at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, will participate in the event. Free activity with prior registration at this link.
