Farewell My Concubine

Medium: Acrylic and Pastel
All original characters, but the story is taken from Chinese history.

Bawang Bie Ji (Farewell My Concubine) is set at the end of the Qin dynasty, which ran from 221 to 206 BC. The despotic Emperor Er-shi has lost control of the nation, and the oppressed people have taken up arms in rebellion against the evil ruler. The country broke into separate spheres of power as a few heroes emerged from the chaos to proclaim themselves kings. Among them, two great military leaders contended for supermacy: Xiang Yu, the King of Chu, and Liu Bang, the King of Han. In a crucial battle with his rival, Liu Bang, in 202 BC, Xiang Yu is caught in an encirclement. His troops run out of food and when they hear their native songs sung by the enemy encamped around them, they are convinced that their homeland has been occupied and their countrymen ahve joined Liu Bang. Xiang Yu feels that the end is near and drinks with his favorite concubine Yuji for the last time with singing this melancholic song:
"My strngth uprooted mountains,
My spirit overstepped the world;
But the times are against me,
And my horse can gallop no more.
When he can gallop no more,
What can I do?
And what is to become of Lady Yu." (Translated by Jonathan Wu)
He sings it repeatedly until tears run down his retainers' cheeks, and Yuji performs a sword dance for him and sings:
"The army of Han is coming,
The song of Chu is surrounding;
My lord,
Your ambition is over,
And I have nothing to keep alive for." (Translated by Camille Kuo)
Then she cuts her own throat with his sword. Grief-stricken, Xiang Yu fights his way to the Wujiang River and , wehn all his men have fallen, takes his own life.