This is Scene Two of Act One of the Chinese classic popular drama Romance of the Western Chamber (西厢记 Xixiang Ji), written by the Yuan playwright Wang Shifu (1250–1336).

After Zhang Gong 张珙 (styled Junrui 君瑞) glimpsed Cui Yingying 崔莺莺 outside the Buddha Hall in the Monastery of Universal Salvation, he went back to his room lovestruck. He was unable to think about anything else. Immediately he decided to prolong his stay and try to see her again. The next day he went back inside the monastery to pay a formal visit to the head abbot, Fa Ben 法本.

image identification and story scene description by Dr Yibin Ni 

Other episodes in the Romance of the Western Chamber:

Scholar Zhang embarking on his journey to sit for civil-service examinations 张生赶考

Scholar Zhang and Cui Yingying exchanging verses in the garden 唱和东墙 (墙角联吟)

Consummation of love from Western Chamber 月下佳期

Scholar Zhang getting drunk due to Madame Cui’s broken promise 张生醉酒 (崔母悔婚)

Yingying listening to the qin zither playing 莺莺听琴 (琴心写恨)

Yingying receiving good news delivered by the pageboy 泥金报捷

• Fig 1: porcelain dish with underglaze blue and red decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of Sir Michael Butler Collection
  Fig 2: porcelain hexagonal lantern, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of National Gallery of Art, Washington D. C.
  Fig 3: porcelain plate with underglaze blue decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of the Jie Rui Tang Collection
  Fig 4-5: porcelain jar with overglaze enamelled decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of The Guimet Museum, Paris, photograph by Mr Raid Kneife
  Fig 6: porcelain dish with overglaze enamelled decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of The Guimet Museum, Paris, photograph by Mr Raid Kneife
  Fig 7: close-up, rouleau vase with overglaze enamelled decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of The Guimet Museum, Paris, photograph by Mr JP Kim
  Fig 8: rouleau vase with overglaze enamelled decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of The Guimet Museum, Paris, photograph by Mr Riad Kneife
  Fig 9: porcelain plate with underglaze blue decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of the Department of History of Art, University of Glasgow, the UK
  Fig 10: porcelain bowl with underglaze blue decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of the Department of History of Art, University of Glasgow, the UK
  Fig 11: porcelain bowl with underglaze blue decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of Bertrand de Lavergne collection
  Fig 12: porcelain plate with underglaze blue decoration, Kangxi period (1662–1722), Qing dynasty, courtesy of Galerie Nicolas Fournery Collection