Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (
Chinese: 智取威虎山;
pinyin: zhì qǔ wēi hǔ shān) is a
Peking opera play and one of the
eight model plays allowed during the
ChineseCultural Revolution. The plot is based on parts of the popular novel Tracks in the Snowy Forest (
Chinese: 林海雪原;
pinyin: lín hǎi xuě yuán) by
Qu Bo, which in turn, is based on the real-life story of an incident in 1946 during the
communistcampaign to suppress bandits in northeast China in the
Chinese Civil War, involving a
PLA reconnaissance soldier Yang Zirong (杨子荣) who disguised himself as a bandit to infiltrate a local gang of bandits, eventually helping the main communist force destroy the bandits. Unlike other characters depicted in the opera and novel, most of the names of both the protagonists and the bandits are real.
A booklet Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy was published in English by the Foreign Languages Press, Peking 1971. Described as "revised collectively by the Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy group of the Peking Opera Troupe of Shanghai (1970 script)", it contains 16 colour photo reproductions, a list of persons in the cast, the script of the ten scenes, and the words and vocal music of nine selected songs. Also are explanatory notes and sketches about the Chinese percussion instruments played in the orchestra.[1]
Cast
Yang Tzu-jung, scout platoon leader of the Chinese People's Liberatrion Army (PLA)
Chief of Staff, PLA regimental chief of staff
Li Yung-chi, railway worker
Chang Pao, hunter's daughter
Shen Teh-hua, PLA scout platoon deputy leader
Medical Orderly, PLA girl medical orderly
Young Kuo, PLA soldier
Chung Chih-cheng, PLA soldier
Lu Hung-yeh, PLA soldier
Lo Chang-chiang, PLA soldier
Other soldiers
Hunter Chang, Chang Pao's father
Mother Li, Li Yung-chi's mother
Chang Ta-shan, railway worker
Li Yung-chi's wife
Other villagers
Vulture, bandit chieftain of Tiger Mountain, leader of Kuomintang's "Fifth Peace Preservation Brigade of the Eastern Heilungkiang Region"
Luan Ping, liaison adjutant under Horse Cudgel Hsu, bandit chieftain of Breast Mountain
Bandit Chief of Staff
Bandit Chief Adjutant
Bandit Captain
"Terribles" and other bandits
Scenes
Advancing in Victory – Winter, 1946
Chiapi Valley Pillaged – Dusk
Asking About Bitterness – Afternoon
Drawing Up a Plan – Early morning
Up the Mountain – A few days later
Into the Bandits' Lair – Immediately after the previous scene
Arousing the Masses – Chiapi Valley
Sending out Information – Dawn
Off to the Attack – Morning
Converging on Hundred Chickens Feast – Lunar New Year's Eve[2]