183 Beijing Operas - Wu Han - Number 72

Wu Han

Beijing Opera - "Capture of Luoyang"

Wu Han with a red three-tile face stars in "Capture of Luoyang," adapted from an episode in "Popular Romance of the Eastern Han." Wu Han (?-44) was the son-in-law of Wang Mang, founder of the short-lived Xin dynasty. He defected to Liu Xiu (later Emperor Guangwu of the Eastern Han) and, with Liu Xiu"s generals Ma Wu and Cen Peng, stormed Luoyang and captured Su Xian, Wang Mang's garrison Commander.