In the case of Xi Shi and Fan Li, their love was full of sacrifice. Xi Shi sacrificed her own comfort and safety for the greater good of her country at first, and Fan Li's love was shown in his waiting and finally taking her away. Their love was intertwined with the fate of the nation, which is a unique characteristic in some Chinese love stories.
One of the famous long lost lovers in Chinese stories is Liang Shanbo and Zhu Yingtai. Their story is a tragic love story. They fell in love while studying together, but due to family opposition and the feudal system, they couldn't be together. In the end, they turned into butterflies, symbolizing their eternal love.
Often, they involve some kind of obstacle. For example, in 'The Butterfly Lovers', it's the family's opposition. This creates a sense of tragedy and makes the love more profound.
Long lost love novels often involve a sense of melancholy. The characters usually experience a great deal of pain due to separation from their loved ones. For example, in 'Wuthering Heights', Heathcliff and Catherine are physically and emotionally separated, which causes them to suffer. Another characteristic is the passage of time. Years may go by while the characters still hold onto their love, like in 'The Notebook'. Also, there are often external factors such as family, society or misunderstandings that contribute to the loss of love, as seen in 'Pride and Prejudice' where Elizabeth and Darcy's pride and prejudice are initially barriers to their love.
The Night Before was a TV series about a long-lost lover who met again with a different identity. However, the search results provided above did not provide a detailed introduction of the plot or related information, so no more details could be provided.
They usually have complex plots with many characters. Take 'Journey to the West' as an example. There are the main characters like Sun Wukong, Tang Sanzang, and a large number of demons and gods. The story unfolds through their adventures on the journey to the west, with various plot twists and turns.
Chinese long stories often have complex plots. For example, in 'Romance of the Three Kingdoms', there are numerous political maneuvers, battles, and character relationships to follow. They also tend to be rich in characters, with each having their own distinct personalities and motives. Moreover, they usually carry strong cultural and moral values, like the importance of loyalty in 'Water Margin' and the concept of karma in some supernatural Chinese long stories.
Famous long stories often have complex characters. They are not one - dimensional but have multiple facets to their personalities. For example, in 'War and Peace', the characters like Natasha have a range of emotions and experiences. Another characteristic is the detailed settings. In 'The Lord of the Rings', Tolkien creates a whole new world with its own geography, languages, and cultures. They also usually deal with big themes like love, death, and power. 'Anna Karenina' is centered around the theme of love and its consequences in a complex society.
Symbolism is also a characteristic. The transformation into butterflies in 'The Butterfly Lovers' is a symbol of their undying love. These symbols add a deeper meaning to the love stories and make them more memorable.
Often, they use jade as a symbol. Jade in these novels can represent purity, beauty, or preciousness, just like the love in the stories. For example, a jade pendant might be a token of love between the two main characters.
Snow White is also a form of long lost princess story. She was driven out of her home by her jealous stepmother and lost in the forest. But she was a princess by birth. The dwarfs took her in, and later with the help of the prince, she was able to reclaim her rightful place as a princess. There's also the story of Princess Fiona from 'Shrek'. She was locked away in a tower waiting for a prince to rescue her, but she was a long - lost princess in a rather comical and modern take on the traditional long lost princess trope.