Pan Zhang & Wang Zhongxian
Encyclopedia
The story of Pan Zhang & Wang Zhongxian comes from the state of Chu
during the Zhou Dynasty
of China
and is first recorded in a Song Dynasty
collection of tales called Anthology Of Tales From Records Of The Taiping Era .
It involves a beautiful writer named Pan Zhang (潘章) who becomes widely known for his bearing and looks. One of the male students who comes to learn from him is Wang Zhongxian (王仲先), and the two fall in love at first sight
. They form a domestic partnership
for the rest of their lives, during which they are described as "affectionate as husband and wife, sharing the same coverlet and pillow with unbounded intimacy for one another". Each of the couple dies at the same time, and the grieving local populace buries them at the peak of Mount Luofu
. A tree miraculously grows from the spot, with its twigs growing to embrace each other.
Chu (state)
The State of Chu was a Zhou Dynasty vassal state in present-day central and southern China during the Spring and Autumn period and Warring States Period . Its ruling house had the surname Nai , and clan name Yan , later evolved to surname Mi , and clan name Xiong...
during the Zhou Dynasty
Zhou Dynasty
The Zhou Dynasty was a Chinese dynasty that followed the Shang Dynasty and preceded the Qin Dynasty. Although the Zhou Dynasty lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history, the actual political and military control of China by the Ji family lasted only until 771 BC, a period known as...
of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and is first recorded in a Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
collection of tales called Anthology Of Tales From Records Of The Taiping Era .
It involves a beautiful writer named Pan Zhang (潘章) who becomes widely known for his bearing and looks. One of the male students who comes to learn from him is Wang Zhongxian (王仲先), and the two fall in love at first sight
Love at first sight
Love at first sight is a common trope in Western literature, in which a person, character, or speaker feels romantic attraction for a stranger on the first sight of them...
. They form a domestic partnership
Domestic partnership
A domestic partnership is a legal or personal relationship between two individuals who live together and share a common domestic life but are neither joined by marriage nor a civil union...
for the rest of their lives, during which they are described as "affectionate as husband and wife, sharing the same coverlet and pillow with unbounded intimacy for one another". Each of the couple dies at the same time, and the grieving local populace buries them at the peak of Mount Luofu
Mount Luofu
Mount Luofu is a sacred mountain in China—though not one of the Sacred Mountains of China—situated on the north bank of the Dongjiang in the northwest of Bóluó County in the prefecture of Huizhou in Guangdong Province that covers 250 kilometers.Among the many temples on Mt...
. A tree miraculously grows from the spot, with its twigs growing to embrace each other.
See also
- Achilles and PatroclusAchilles and PatroclusThe relationship between Achilles and Patroclus is a key element of the myths associated with the Trojan War. Its exact nature has been a subject of dispute in both the classical period and modern times....
- David and JonathanDavid and JonathanDavid and Jonathan were heroic figures of the Kingdom of Israel, whose covenant was recorded favourably in the books of Samuel. Jonathan was the son of Saul, king of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, and David was the son of Jesse of Bethlehem and Jonathan's presumed rival for the crown...
- Homosexuality in ChinaHomosexuality in ChinaHomosexuality in China refers to homosexuality in Chinese culture; which, as a term, is relatively ambiguous in the contemporary context, although many instances have been recorded in the dynastic histories.-Terminology in China:...
- Same-sex marriageSame-sex marriageSame-sex marriage is marriage between two persons of the same biological sex or social gender. Supporters of legal recognition for same-sex marriage typically refer to such recognition as marriage equality....