The walls around the empire’s capital. Sunset. The square is crowded with motley picturesque people, who attentively listen to the Tangerine’s announcement: Princess Turandot, the daughter of the Em¬peror Altoum, will become the wife of a prince, who will solve the three of her riddles. The unsuccessful volunteer, who will not cope with this task, will be beheaded, like the Persian prince, who is to have his head off soon. The excited crowd call out for immediate execution. In the turmoil some of the peo¬ple are elbowed off their feet. Timur, the former Tartar Khan, is knocked off by the crowd, too. The young Prince Khalaf runs up to give the elderly man a hand and recognizes his father in him. Timur tells his son about his life peripetias and his slave Lu who accompa¬nies him everywhere and has always been his stand-by.

The executioner and his apprentices appear on the square. They start sharpening the blade of a huge sward. The crowd pick up their song. Both the executor and the crowd impatiently wait for the Moon to rise when the execution is to be performed. But the look of the young Persian prince impresses the people so deeply that they feel compassion for him.

Khalaf is about to swear the cruel Princess when he sees on the Empero¬r’s balcony Turandot, a girl of imperious and almost unreal beauty, and his curse dies on his lips. Khalaf feels eager to take part in the announced competition. He rushes to strike the gong. Three ministers - Ping, Pong and Pung - try to stop him, pointing at the chopped off Persian prince’s head. Lu begs Khalaf to think about his elderly father. But the young man stands firm on his decision and asking her to take care of his father he strikes the gong three times. Khalaf challenges Turandot.

Ping, Pong and Pung mourn over the unhappy doom of the princes who failed the competi¬tion to cruel Turandot and they daydream of their life somewhere far from the Emperor’s court. They don’t dare to blame Turandot for all the sufferings the Chinese have to bear. They think of the moment when the Princess’ marriage will put an end to all these vain and horrible executions. .

The area in front of the palace. Eight wise old men are holding scripts with the answers to Turan¬dot’s complicated riddles. The Emperor makes his appearance. He takes his seat on the throne. He tries to talk Khalaf into giving up the hopeless competition. On her part Тurandot reveals the reason for the rivalry: she has been eager to revenge for her grandgrandmather’s abduction and murder. But the Prince is adamant. Immediately and without hesitation he finds the answer to the first riddle – it is “hope”. Then he is quick to produce the second word. It is “blood”. Infuriated, the Princess gives him the third and the last chance to meet his doom and Khalaf this time cries out her own name – “Turandot”, that, he argues, is the third word. The defeated Princess prays the Emperor not to allow his daughter to become the stranger’s slave; but the Emperor’s oath is sacred. As to Khalaf he does not want to force the Princess into marrying him without love. He proposes Turandot to discover his name by the sunrise. The people welcome the victor and wish long life to their wise Emperor.

The garden around the palace. Night. The calls of the heralds are heard: " Let nobody sleep this night!" They urge people to find out the stranger’s name. Khalaf is sure, that he will win Turan¬dot’s heart.

Ping, Pong and Pung tempt Khalaf, offering him love, jewellery and fame, but he rejects everything. The people first pray to reveal his name, then threaten him, but all in vain. And at this moment the guards bring in Timur and Lu, who the previous day were seen on the square together with the stranger. Lu admits, that knows the name, but will not reveal it: her love makes her strong enough to be silent. Seeing the executor approach, she snatches out a knife from one of the guards and kills her¬self. Dying she predicts that Turandot will come to love the stranger. Lu’s death makes Timur desperate. The frightened crowd sing expiatory prayers. The funeral procession carries away Lu’s body, leaving Khalaf and Тurandot alone.

Khalaf gives her a passionate kiss that makes her stiff icy heart melt. At dawn he himself reveals his name and title to his wife-to-be. But to her people and to her father she introduces Prince Khalaf in a different way: " His name is Love!"