Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (Chinese: 智取威虎山;pinyin: Zhì Qǔ Wēi Hǔ Shān) is aPeking opera play and one of theeight model plays allowed during theChineseCultural Revolution. The plot is based on parts of the popular novelTracks in the Snowy Forest (Chinese:林海雪原;pinyin:lín hǎi xuě yuán) byQu Bo, which in turn, is based on the real-life story of an incident in 1946 during thecommunistcampaign to suppress bandits in northeast China in theChinese Civil War, involving aPLA reconnaissance soldier Yang Zirong (杨子荣) who disguised himself as a bandit to infiltrate a local gang of bandits, eventually helping the main communist force destroy the bandits. Unlike other characters depicted in the opera and novel, most of the names of both the protagonists and the bandits are real.
A bookletTaking Tiger Mountain by Strategy was published in English by the Foreign Languages Press, Peking 1971. Described as "revised collectively by the Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy group of the Peking Opera Troupe of Shanghai (1970 script)", it contains 16 colour photo reproductions, a list of persons in the cast, the script of the ten scenes, and the words and vocal music of nine selected songs. Also are explanatory notes and sketches about the Chinese percussion instruments played in the orchestra.[1]