The story of Zhu Yingtai and Liang Shanbo is a well known tale of tragic love.

Zhu Yingtai was the only child of a wealthy squire from Shangyu county in Zhejiang province during the period of the Six Dynasties. Also known as Jiuniang, she possessed both beauty and intelligence. She loved studying from an early age. Her father chose many suitors for her, but when faced with each proposal, Zhu Yingtai would reply: "I want to study and see more of the world. After that, I shall marry and only if the man is virtuous and to my liking."

Eventually, her father allowed her to attend school. The conventions of the age deemed that such behaviour was not fitting for a girl so Zhu Yingtai disguised herself as a boy and changed her name to Zhu Jiuguan before setting off on her journey.

During her travels, she met a young scholar, Liang Shanbo and the two of them travelled together to the Yixing Shanquan Mountain Academy, where they both enrolled as students. Before long, the two friends became inseparable, treating each other like brothers. Although they were classmates and even lived under the same roof for three years, Liang Shanbo never suspected that Zhu Yingtai was a girl. After graduation, when the time came for them to part, she told Liang Shanbo: "We must arrange a time when you can come to my house. I have a younger sister and I shall request that my father betroth her to you."

Zhu Yingtai was, of course, referring to herself. Although Liang Shanbo agreed to the proposal, he felt unworthy of the match as he came from a poor family. The arranged day came and went - Liang Shanbo failed to keep his appointment. After returning home, Zhu Yingtai's father insisted that she become engaged to a son of the Ma family. He remained adamant despite her objections. As for Liang Shanbo, only when he was appointed magistrate of Yin county, did he feel that it was time for him to call on Zhu Yingtai. He stopped at her home while travelling to take up his post and asked a servant: "Is Master Jiuguan home'" The servant replied: "The young mistress of the house is called Jiuniang. There's no Jiuguan living here."

Liang Shanbo began to suspect the true identity of his former classmate and asked if he might meet Jiuniang. Zhu Yingrai entered the room and greeted Liang Shanbo. Although she tried to hide her face behind a fine gauze fan, her tenderness and love for the young man was clear. Liang Shanbo, realising that she was a girl, was overcome with grief when she told him of her impending marriage. Filled with remorse and regret, he died sometime later of a broken heart. His last request was that his remains be buried at the foot of Qingdao Mountain.

Two years later, as Zhu Yingtai's bridal procession passed by Qingdao Mountain on its way to the Ma house, there was a sudden fierce wind and the revellers were forced to stop. Stepping down from her bridal sedan chair, Zhu Yingtai saw Liang Shanbo's grave and immediately fell to her knees, weeping bitterly. The grave burst open suddenly. She leapt inside and it closed up again. When the wind had calmed down, all that could be seen were two exquisite butterflies dancing together above the grave. They flew off together into the distance.

Even today, when the azaleas are in full bloom, you may well see two large butterflies, one yellow, the other black, fluttering and dancing together. People would point to the yellow one and say: "That's Liang Shanbo", and then to the black one saying: "That's Zhu Yingtai."