Wartime classic returns to stage

Eileen Chang's classic novella, Love in a Fallen City, has long captivated readers with its delicate portrayal of love and social tension in the 1940s Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The protagonist, Bai Liusu, a divorcee, returns to her family's declining Shanghai home, scorned by relatives who see her as a burden. Determined to secure a proper marriage, she sets her sights on Fan Liuyuan, a wealthy, charming bachelor recently returned from Britain. Following him to Hong Kong, Bai's hopes of legitimacy falter — until war erupts. As the city falls, Fan is trapped and returns to her side. In the chaos, the unlikely pair discover a love far stronger than status, wealth, or family approval — a love forged in a fallen city.

The novella has inspired countless adaptations for stage and screen over the years. Five years ago, Oscar-winning artist Tim Yip reimagined the work for the theater, serving as both director and visual director.

Now, the production returns in a new fifth-anniversary version that will tour six Chinese cities, including Guangzhou, Beijing and Chengdu, during May and June, bringing the two protagonists— Bai, a woman navigating the precariousness of her social standing, and Fan, a charming, worldly man, to life again.