The exhibition of ancient Chinese playwright Wang Shifu's original authentic handwriting of The West Chamber opens in Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb 4. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn] 

The exhibition of ancient Chinese playwright Wang Shifu's original authentic handwritten manuscript of The West Chamber debuted in Auckland, New Zealand, on Feb 4.

The manuscript of Wang Shifu was created on jute paper, with each half page measuring 23.2 centimeters long and 13.8 cm wide. 

Lei Jiande, a scholar focusing on the study of The West Chamber, said that the original manuscript of Wang Shifu is highly valuable both historically and artistically, and is a milestone in the development of Chinese theater, and is also the only existing original work of Yuanqu – a type of verse popular in the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) at home and abroad. 

The West Chamber, one of the four most renowned dramas in ancient China, has remained popular for over 700 years. It tells the story of young lovers who pursue a forbidden love. The story is set at the Pujiu Temple in Yongji, North China's Shanxi province.