The Hegemon-King Bids His Lady Farewell

It was initially performed by Yang Xiaolou and Shang Xiaoyun in 1918 in Beijing.

The opera tells the story of Xiang Yu, the self-styled "Hegemon-King of Western Chu" who battled for the unification of China with 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.

Realizing the dire situation that has befallen them, she begs to die alongside her master, but he strongly refuses this wish.

The novel Farewell My Concubine by Lilian Lee and its film adaptation of the same name use the play as part of their stories.