The blood spattered peach blossom fan is a treasure that has been passed down to the world for 300 y

Mondo Culture Updated on 2024-02-18

Among the treasures of Chinese drama and literature, "Peach Blossom Fan" is like a bright pearl, outlining the tragic life of a pair of lovers in the troubled times of the late Ming Dynasty with exquisite brushstrokes. This work is derived from the love story of the real historical figures Hou Fangyu and Li Xiangjun, carrying a rich cultural artistic conception and profound historical reflection.

Peach Blossom Fan is a legendary script created by the Qing Dynasty writer Kong Shangren, which was completed in June of the 38th year of the Kangxi reign of the Qing Dynasty (1699) and published in the 47th year of the Kangxi reign (1708), one of the four famous classical Chinese dramas.

"Peach Blossom Fan" tells the joys and sorrows of Hou Fangyu and Li Xiangjun in the late Ming Dynasty, and shows the social reality of Nanjing in the late Ming Dynasty.

The play has been prosperous for a long time since its inception, and has been adapted into Huangmei Opera, Peking Opera, and dramas. For more than 300 years, "Peach Blossom Fan" has been staged in many genres. **Experimental Drama Theater has put "Peach Blossom Fan" on the stage several times and performed it at home and abroad.

Director Xie Jin once put "Peach Blossom Fan" on the screen. Shanghai TV has also adapted "Peach Blossom Fan" into the TV series "Li Xiangjun".

Hou Fangyu (April 1618-January 1655), the name Chaozong, the name Xueyuan, the Ming Dynasty Guide Mansion (now Shangqiu, Henan) people, the late Ming and early Qing Dynasty essayists, the three masters of prose.

1. The "Four Sons" at the end of the Ming Dynasty.

1. Leaders of the Restoration Society. The son of the Ming Household Department Shangshu Hou Sui, his grandfather and father were all members of the Donglin Party.

Li Xiangjun (1624-1654), also known as Li Xiang, known as "incense fan pendant", the original surname was Wu, a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu, a famous prostitute in Nanjing Moling Jiaofang, and Dong Xiaowan, Chen Yuanyuan, Liu Rushi, etc. are known as "Qinhuai Bayan".

Li Xiangjun: One of the "Eight Yans of Qinhuai" in the late Ming Dynasty.

Li Xiangjun. She has a mellow singing voice, but she is not easy to sing with others, and she is also familiar with silk and bamboo pipa, rhythm and poetry, and is especially good at playing and singing "Pipa Records".

The story originated in the Chongzhen period of Nanjing's Qinhuai River, the talented Hou Fangyu, born in a famous family, peerless, and the famous prostitute Li Xiangjun, piano, chess, calligraphy and painting are all fine, noble temperament.

The two met and fell in love in the context of the war-torn era, and a peach blossom fan with an inscription became a witness to their love.

However, this fan also foreshadows their ill-fated fate, as short and gorgeous as a peach blossom.

With the Qing army moving south and the change of dynasties, Hou Fangyu was mired in the political quagmire, running for his ideals and his family and country

In desperation, he parted with his lover and threw himself into the tide of anti-Qing and Ming restoration; Li Xiangjun adhered to his beliefs, and did not hesitate to hit his head on the corner of the table when the powerful were forced to marry, and the blood spattered the peach blossom fan, achieving a magnificent tragedy of crying ghosts and gods and moving the heavens and the earth.

In terms of the inner description of the characters, Hou Fangyu not only has the pride and ambition of a man with lofty ideals, but also has the guilt and self-blame for Li Xiangjun's affection but inability to protect it; Li Xiangjun shows the independent personality and tenacity of women in the face of adversity with her chastity and unswerving love until death.

The plot of "Peach Blossom Fan" is full of ups and downs, through the emotional entanglement of Hou and Li and the ups and downs of their personal fate, reflecting the changes and declines of an era, presenting a strong cultural heritage and artistic characteristics. The use of poetry and poetry perfectly combines historical narrative with lyrical freehand, which not only shows the spiritual outlook of literati and doctors in the Ming and Qing dynasties, but also reveals the poignant picture of the love of children in troubled times.

At the end, Hou Fangyu returned to his hometown after vicissitudes, only to see that things have changed and stars have changed, Li Xiangjun has cut his hair and become a nun, and the love between the two has finally become a mirror. This sublimation makes people lament the insignificance of individual life in the great changes of the times, and at the same time evokes deep thinking about moral perseverance, human dignity, and historical choices.

The artistic charm of Peach Blossom Fan lies not only in its delicate emotional depiction and vivid character building, but also in its small view of the big, borrowing the joys and sorrows of Hou and Li, to fable the rise and fall of a dynasty, allowing readers to reflect on personal choices and social responsibilities in the torrent of history while feeling the tragedy of love.

Disclaimer: **For viewing purposes only.

February** Dynamic Incentive Program

Related Pages