Drama Card 4

Level 3-4

Yuanxiao

There are many different beliefs about the beginnings of the Lantern Festival and the legend below is just one. Make sure your whole group knows all about it.

Long long ago in ancient China there lived a palace maid named Yuanxiao, a kind and clever girl who was locked up in the palace of her Emperor Wu Di all year round. This made her sad and homesick so it was very lucky that she found a friend in a minister called Dongfang Shuo.

"Oh Emperor," said Shuo, "the God of Fire has been ordered to set the city of Changen on fire and this will happen on the 15th day of the first month of the lunar year."

"How can we stop this?" asked the Emperor. "There is only one way," replied Shuo, "and that is to let off fire crackers and hang up red lanterns all over the city. Everyone, even the palace maids will have to help and make a great lantern show."

Now Shuo knew that the God of Fire liked to watch a good fire show and liked the dumplings made by Yuanxiao just as much. "Let Yuanxiao give her dumplings to the fire god," said Shuo to his Emperor, "for that will please him and save the city from fire."

And this is what happened. The people of Changen let off fire crackers all night and the lanterns shone brightly. The girls were able to go out at night and meet boys of the same age and this was a good thing because it was a very rare event. Yuanxiao was able to leave the palace and meet with her family and this is why the Lantern Festival has become a happy family time.

The Emperor Du Wi enjoyed himself so much he decided that a Lantern Festival should be held every year so Yuanxiao met her family the next year and the years after that.

And so it is today that on the 15th day of the first lunar month the Lantern Festival, which is also called the Yuanxiao festival, sees red lanterns, fireworks, dumplings drummers and dancers. There are lions and dragons and girls meet boys, just as they have for hundreds of years.

Your mission

Create a short drama that tells this legend to the rest of the class. Perform it in mime or add words but as you work it out decide which characters could be stilt walkers, for they are an important part of the Lantern Festival.

Stilt walking is a traditional performance and a popular lantern festival event. Some actors even perform plays while walking about on stilts. You might not perform your play on stilts but we still want to know which characters from your story would use them.

See some stilts here.