View source for The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell

{{Short description|Chinese opera}}
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[[File:BeijingOperaProduction.jpg|380px|thumb|A [[Peking opera]] performance of ''The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell''.]]
'''''The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell'''''<ref>William Dolby, ''Eight Chinese Plays from the Thirteenth Century to the Present'' (London: P. Elek; New York: Columbia University Press, 1978).</ref> ({{zh|c=霸王别姬|p=Bà Wáng Bié Jī}}), also known as '''''Farewell My Concubine''''', is a traditional [[Chinese opera]]. It was initially performed by [[Yang Xiaolou]] and [[Shang Xiaoyun]] in 1918 in [[Beijing]]. Though usually associated with [[Peking opera]], it is also performed in other genres such as [[Cantonese opera]].
The opera tells the story of [[Xiang Yu]], the self-styled "Hegemon-King of Western [[Chu (state)|Chu]]" who battled for the unification of China with [[Emperor Gaozu of Han|Liu Bang]], the eventual founder of the [[Han dynasty]]. In the play, Xiang Yu is surrounded by Liu Bang's forces and on the verge of total defeat, so he calls forth his horse and begs it to run away for the sake of its own safety. The horse refuses, against his wishes. He then calls for the company of his wife [[Consort Yu (Xiang Yu's wife)|Consort Yu]]. Realizing the dire situation that has befallen them, she begs to die alongside her master, but he strongly refuses this wish. Afterwards, as he is distracted, Yu commits suicide with Xiang Yu's sword.
The novel ''[[Farewell My Concubine (novel)|Farewell My Concubine]]'' by [[Lilian Lee]] and its [[Farewell My Concubine (film)|film adaptation of the same name]] use the play as part of their stories.
== References ==
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{{Media about the Chu–Han Contention}}
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[[Category:Peking operas]]
[[Category:Plays set in the 3rd century BC]]
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