SCHOLARS HAVE TRACED the butterfly lovers’ story to the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE), at least nine hundred years before Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. The butterfly lovers inspired many plays, stories, and a violin concerto. China’s Ningbo city has several places named after the lovers, and in October 2005, Ningbo became sister cities with Romeo and Juliet’s Verona.
BEST FRIENDS
Inspired by folklore
Zhu Yingtai’s wealthy father hoped her ambitions would fade, and she’d become an ideal wife.
But she wanted to attend school, which was reserved for men.
She devised a plan and made her father’s favorite meal.
He smiled at the food and raised an eyebrow. “What do you want?”
Zhu Yingtai’s eyes widened. “Why, nothing, Father.”
“We’ll save a lot of time if you just told me.”
Her cheeks red
