Wang Zijia ( Chinese: 王紫稼; pinyin: Wáng Zǐjià or Chinese: 王子嘉; pinyin: Wáng Zǐjiā, 1622–1657 [1]) or Wang Zijie ( Chinese: 王子玠; pinyin: Wáng Zǐjiè), born Wang Jia ( Chinese: 王稼; pinyin: Wáng Jià), was a Chinese kunqu actor of the Ming–Qing transition who played dan roles (i.e. he impersonated women). He "mesmerize[d] a new generation of youths after the fall of the Ming" and befriended some of the leading scholars such as Gong Dingzi, Qian Qianyi, and Wu Weiye. [2]
Originally from Suzhou, Wang first joined the household troupe of the scholar-official Xu Qian. After the Ming government disbanded Xu's troupe, Wang joined the household troupe of Xu's nemesis Tu Guobao before heading to Beijing to try his luck. [3]
When he returned from Beijing, Wang Zijia was flogged to death on the order of the Suzhou censor Lin Senxian (林森先) — who was his admirer [4] but also a "moral zealot" [3] — for allegedly corruption morality.
Wang Zijia's rise and fall formed one of the main storylines of the Qing dynasty novel Wutong Ying (梧桐影, "The Parasol's Shade"). [5]
Kunqu actor Li Gonglü (李公律) played Wang Zijia in the 2005 TV series The Romantic King of Dramas (風流戲王). [6]