Tao Hua Yuan
Encyclopedia
Peach Blossom Spring or The Peach Blossom Land was a fable
by Tao Yuanming in 421 about a chance discovery of an ethereal utopia
where the people lead an ideal existence in harmony with nature, unaware of the outside world for centuries.
The villagers were surprised to see him, but were kind and friendly. They explained that their ancestors escaped to this place during the civil unrest of the Qin
and they haven't left since or had contact with anyone from the outside, so they never heard anything about the subsequent changes in political regimes.
The fisherman was warmly received by the hospitable villagers and stayed for over a week. Upon leaving, he was informed that it was worthless to reveal this experience to the world. However, he marked his route on his out with signs and later divulged the existence of this idyllic haven to others. They tried to find it repeatedly but were in vain.
The text inspired many later poems, some music compositions and a modern Taiwanese play-turned-movie, Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring
. In some of the poems, the inhabitants of the villages were immortal
s.
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
by Tao Yuanming in 421 about a chance discovery of an ethereal utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
where the people lead an ideal existence in harmony with nature, unaware of the outside world for centuries.
Plot
Written during a time of political instability and national disunity, the poem describes how a fisherman haphazardly sailed into a river in a forest made up entirely of blossoming peach trees, where even the ground was covered by peach petals. When he reached the end the river (spring in some translations), the source turned out to be a grotto. Though narrow at first, he was able to squeeze through and the passage eventually reached a vibrant village with animals and people of all ages.The villagers were surprised to see him, but were kind and friendly. They explained that their ancestors escaped to this place during the civil unrest of the Qin
Qin Dynasty
The Qin Dynasty was the first imperial dynasty of China, lasting from 221 to 207 BC. The Qin state derived its name from its heartland of Qin, in modern-day Shaanxi. The strength of the Qin state was greatly increased by the legalist reforms of Shang Yang in the 4th century BC, during the Warring...
and they haven't left since or had contact with anyone from the outside, so they never heard anything about the subsequent changes in political regimes.
The fisherman was warmly received by the hospitable villagers and stayed for over a week. Upon leaving, he was informed that it was worthless to reveal this experience to the world. However, he marked his route on his out with signs and later divulged the existence of this idyllic haven to others. They tried to find it repeatedly but were in vain.
Influences
The expression shìwaì taóyuán (世外桃源 ‘the Peach Spring beyond this world’) has become a popular Chinese expression, meaning an unexpectedly fantastic place off the beaten path, usually an unspoiled wilderness of great beauty.The text inspired many later poems, some music compositions and a modern Taiwanese play-turned-movie, Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring
Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring
Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring , also Secret Love in Peach Blossom Land, was the second stage play by the Performance Workshop in 1986, and also the first successful modern stage play in Taiwan...
. In some of the poems, the inhabitants of the villages were immortal
Xian (Taoism)
Xian is a Chinese word for an enlightened person, translatable in English as:*"spiritually immortal; transcendent; super-human; celestial being"...
s.
See also
- Grotto-heavensGrotto-heavensGrotto-heavens are a type of sacred Taoist site. Grotto-heavens are usually caves, mountain hollows, or other underground spaces. Because every community was supposed to have access to at least one grotto, there were many of them all over China. They were first organized systematically in the Tang...
, idealized Taoist retreats - Immortal PeachesImmortal PeachesIn Chinese mythology, Peaches of Immortality are consumed by the immortals due to its mystic virtue of conferring longevity on all who ate them. It appears in a number of fables and paintings.-Peach Banquets:...
, another Chinese myth element
External links
- Spring Dawn at Peach Blossom Spring: guqinGuqinThe guqin is the modern name for a plucked seven-string Chinese musical instrument of the zither family...
music inspired by the text - Peach Blossom Shangri-la: Tao Hua Yuan Ji: Translation & original version