272 Beijing Opera Performers - Cui Zijian - Number 35

Cui Zijian

Beijing Opera - "The Gold Belt"

Cui Zijian with a flowered purple-cross face is a character in "The Purple and Golden Belt," an list-opera of unknown origin that tells about the marriages of the sons and daughters of three families---the Cuis, Yangs, and Shes. In one of the acts, Yang Gun, a senior member of the Yang family, meets Zhao Kuangyin on the battlefield. He raises his battle-axe to strike Zhao, but at that instant Zhao turns into a dragon. Realizing that his adversary is the emperor, Yang surrenders. Zhao confers on him the rank of First Prince and presents him with the gold belt he is wearing.