YEONGI

The story is a Chinese legend happened in the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317–420). In order to pursue her studies in, Yingtai disguised herself as a man and decided to go to Hangzhou for further study. During her trip she met Shanbo, they soon became good friends and then sworn brothers.

 

They studied together for the next three years and Yingtai gradually fell in love with Shanbo, but he was an honest and unassuming man and did not understand her love confession. 

 

Suddenly, Yingtai is requested by father to return home immediately. As a final hint, she tells him she will act as a matchmaker between him and her ’sister’. And reminds him to visit her home so that he can propose to the sister.

 

Months later, Shanbo discovers that she actually is a woman; he finally visits to her home and proposes. But, Yingtai’s father has already arranged for her to marry another young man of more wealth.

 

Shanbo dies of broken heart and is buried near the church where Yingtai will marry the rich man. On the wedding day, mysterious winds prevent her from exiting the town without first stopping by Shanbo’s grave.

 

When she visits him, she begs for the grave to open up and it does. She throws herself into the grave immediately. Later on, they turned into a pair of butterflies and the two would never to be separated again.