A newly composed Peking Opera about ancient Chinese general Xiang Yu debuted in Taipei on Saturday and Sunday, retelling the story between him and two women, namely, his favorite concubine Consort Yu and Lü Zhi, wife of his rival Liu Bang.

Written and directed by Taiwan Peking Opera actor Li Bao-chun, Xiang Yu and the Two Ladies keeps the classic part of Xiang Yu bidding farewell to Consort Yu, but "creatively" adds Lü in between them. 

The two ladies represent power and love, and Xiang Yu has to choose between them.

"We have added legendary plots in the new opera without contradicting the traditional part of the Peking Opera classic Farewell to My Concubine, to make the new work appealing to both elder and younger generations," said Li.

The opera integrates modern composing skills, dance choreography and multi-media with traditional Peking Opera performances, allows the two women characters to sing together and takes a much softer touch on the appearance of Xiang Yu.

Xiang Yu, the self-styled "Hegemon-King of Western Chu," battled for the unification of China with Liu Bang, the eventual founder of the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220).