Biography of Li Wa is a legend (novel) written by Bai Xingjian, a writer in the Tang Dynasty. It was written in the Tang Dynasty and included in Taiping Guangji. Li Wa, a fictional prostitute, and the son of Xingyang, her beloved scholar, finally got a happy ending, which showed the author's sympathy and praise for the brothel woman and was full of idealism.
The story of Biography of Li Wa is tortuous and changeable, but its structure is very complete and its narrative is very clear. Its main character, Li Wa, is richer in personality than other legendary works, with both inheritance and changes. Biography of Li Wa is a representative work in the prosperous period of legend in the middle Tang Dynasty, and many operas in later generations have been adapted from Biography of Li Wa.
"Li Wa Biography" content:
During the Tianbao period of Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty, a local noble son came to Chang 'an alone to take the imperial examination. In Chang 'an, he fell in love with Li Wa, a prostitute in Pingkangfang, and went back and forth to the prostitute's house. However, when the money was spent, that is, when the love ended, the travel expenses that had been enough for two years were quickly squandered, the young man was also driven out of the prostitute's house, and Li Wa disappeared.
The penniless young man fell ill in the street, but fortunately he was saved by the people in the funeral home. Later, he became a singer who sang elegies at funerals and soon became famous in Beijing. But on the day when he sang an elegy in a competition with others, he was discovered by his father who came to Beijing. As a result, he was beaten by his angry father and passed out on the road.