The Magic Lotus Lantern

The Magic Lotus Lantern is a Chinese fairy tale from the Tang dynasty (618–907).

A Yue opera actress playing Sanshengmu, a major character, in 2006.

Story

Sanshengmu was an immortal who had fallen in love with a mortal man. Her brother, Erlang Shen, was against it but she stole a magical lotus lantern and escaped the palace for earth. Sanshengmu eventually had a son named Chenxiang. After seven years Erlang Sheng was able to locate the couple by light of the magical lotus lantern. He captured Chenxiang so that Sanshengmu would return the lantern, and when she did she was imprisoned under a mountain. Chenxiang learns of how his mother was imprisoned and plans to get the lantern back to look for his mother. Chenxiang encounters many trials during his journey and in the time became a young man. He impressed the Monkey King so he made Chenxiang magical axe. Chenxiang fought Erlang Shen with the axe and just as Erlang Shen was ready to kill Chenxiang, the lotus lantern’s light penetrated Chenxiang’s body and merged with him so he was able to defeat Erlang Shen.

Chenxiang splits the mountain in half, Sanshengmu was rescued, and mother and son were reunited.

Adaptations

Film
  • Save Mother from Mountain (小英雄劈山救母), a 1928 Chinese film
  • Breaking Open the Mountain to Rescue Mother (劈山救母), a 1950 Hong Kong film
  • The Precious Lotus Lamp (寶蓮燈), a 1956 Hong Kong Cantonese opera film
    • The Precious Lotus Lamp, Part II (1957)
    • The Precious Lotus Lamp, Part III (1958)
  • The Magic Lotus Lantern (寶蓮燈), a 1959 Chinese film
  • Breaking Open the Mountain to Rescue Mother (劈山救母), a 1961 Taiwanese film
  • The Lotus Lamp (七彩寶蓮燈), a 1963 Hong Kong Cantonese opera film
  • The Magic Lamp (寶蓮燈), a 1964 Hong Kong Huangmei opera film
  • The Lotus Lamp (寶蓮燈), a 1965 Hong Kong film
  • The Magic Lotus Lantern (寶蓮燈), a 1976 Hebei bangzi film
Animation films
  • Saving Mother (西嶽奇童), a 1984 Chinese film
  • Lotus Lantern, a 1999 Chinese film
  • Chen Xiang (西嶽奇童), a 2006 Chinese film

TV series
  • The Lamp Lore (寶蓮燈), a 1986 Hong Kong TV series
  • The Polien Lantern (天地傳說之寶蓮燈), a 2001 Chinese-Taiwanese TV series
  • Lotus Lantern, a 2005 Chinese TV series

References
  • Yuan, Haiwang (2006). The Magic Lotus Lantern and Other Tales From the Han Chinese. Libraries Unlimited. ISBN 1-59158-294-6.
  • Li Nianpei (1988). The Beating of the Dragon Robe: A Repertoire of Beijing Opera; Synopses of 100 Most Popular Pieces. Joint Publishing. ISBN 962-04-0636-2.
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