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中华经典名剧：桃花扇
孔尚任著，谢雍君、朱方遒评注的《桃花扇/中华经典名剧》以名士侯方域与秦淮名妓李香君为主线，将他们的爱情生活与国家兴亡贯串交织在一起，围绕着侯、李爱情这一中心线索，融入了大量反映南明兴亡斗争的场景，刻画塑造了众多面目各异的人物风貌，诗史般地再现了明末社会一系列重大的历史事件，诸如崇祯死难、福王即位、阉党专权、江北四镇自相残杀、东林复社反清活动、史可法壮烈殉国等。
437 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 1699
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
December 16, 2016
I read the English version of this famous classical Chinese play set in the late Ming/early Qing dynasty. The translators did a superb job, considering the difficult classical Chinese language and the numerous historical allusions, which are not easy to grasp even for the average Chinese person.
The story is about a late Ming courtesan's struggles to stay loyal to her true love despite villainous attempts by self serving power mongers to tear the lovers apart. It reflects on the stark contrast between the courtesan's strong-willed patriotism and the traitorous deeds of an avaricious and corrupt clique at the Southern Ming court, whose total lack of morals and internecine feud ultimately led to the demise of the Southern Ming Pretender's reign.
I loved the historical background of the play, as well as the poetic renderings of much of the dialogues, which add to the poignancy of the story. I kept referring to the original Chinese edition to check out the beautiful poetry.
Overall, it was a 5-star read.
December 18, 2015
New Introduction, by Judith T. Zeitlin
Preface, by Harold Acton
Introduction, by Cyril Birch
Principal Characters
--The Peach Blossom Fan
Preface, by Harold Acton
Introduction, by Cyril Birch
Principal Characters
--The Peach Blossom Fan
July 20, 2025
The Peach Blossom Fan, which stands among China's most celebrated dramatic works, follows the downfall of the Southern Ming dynasty as its corrupt leaders in Nanking are overwhelmed by in-fighting, bandits, and Manchu invaders. The dramatic heart of the story is the romance of an honorable young scholar, Hou Fangyu, and the most beautiful courtesan of Qinhuai river, "Fragrant Princess." It must be a treat to see this complex and lengthy play on the stage -- it leaps and bounds beyond the very simple "northern theatre" (zaju) of the earlier playwrights of the Yuan dynasty. For me, at least, the narrative, characters, and dramatic effects were all a bit too diffuse to really get enthusiastic about.
The rain has washed the trees a brighter green;
In the chill dawn, we start beside the river.
The crows caw on and on over desolate tombs,
Sophora petals fall from palace ruins.
Why is the spirit of the Imperial heirs so feeble?
Why are the heads of the generals bowed?
Leaving the central plain, through battlefields,
We totter weeping on our weary way.
The rain has washed the trees a brighter green;
In the chill dawn, we start beside the river.
The crows caw on and on over desolate tombs,
Sophora petals fall from palace ruins.
Why is the spirit of the Imperial heirs so feeble?
Why are the heads of the generals bowed?
Leaving the central plain, through battlefields,
We totter weeping on our weary way.
January 18, 2016
“The Peach Blossom Fan,” by K’ung Shang-Jen, translated by Chen Shih-Hsiang and Harold Acton, with Cyril Birch (New York Review Books, 1976). From the introduction by Judith T. Zeitlin: “Completed in 1699, The Peach Blossom Fan is the greatest historical drama in Chinese literature.” A play in 44 acts, it is, in scope and complexity, the equivalent of War and Peace, perhaps. Unlike most of the English historical plays, especially Shakespeare, Fan tells the story of the last year of the Ming Dynasty, as it is being destroyed by corruption within and the Manchus from without, from the point of view of the losers. It begins with a portrait of the Chinese aristocracy at its apparent height, full of pageantry and artistry, sophistication and culture. Its poets, painters, singers and dancers are honored and admired. In a cavalcade of sumptuous settings, the 16-year-old courtesan Fragrant Princess is married to the young scholar Hou Fang-yü. They spend their first night in bliss. But the villain Juan Ta-ch’eng disrupts the proceedings, and Princess and Hou are separated. She holds onto the Peach Blossom Fan, symbol of their union. Then the stage gradually expands from domestic love story to national drama. The invading Manchus have captured the capital, Peking, and the Emperor has committed suicide. The Ming retreat to the southern stronghold of Nanking, where a new Emperor, Hung-Kuang, is crowned. Juan and Grand Secretary Ma Shih-ying become the powers behind the throne, since the new Emperor cares only for performances and parties. The new court is corrupt, full of bribery and betrayals. While we occasionally see Princess and Hou trying to find one another, the Ming court ignores the advance of the Manchus. The generals sent to face the invaders quarrel and fight with one another. There is constant dissension. Generals are betrayed by their families, armies are outmaneuvered, while Princess valiantly refuses to marry anyone other than Hou. She in fact is the most powerful character, virtuous and strong. Eventually the last strongholds fall, the heroic defenders kill themselves, the Emperor, Ma and Juan flee, but are discovered and killed. Meanwhile, Princess and Hou finally encounter one another in a haven of Taoist temples in the mountains. But it is too late; the dynasty has fallen; the Manchus rule; the Fan is destroyed, and Princess and Hou retreat separately into the mountains. Even from the little I have seen of Chinese drama, I can imagine the performance: highly stylized, with extravagant costumes, full of songs and recitations broken up by exposition, exquisitely decorated scrims serving as scenery, actors with heavy makeup and almost ritual movements. The play begins very slowly, but picks up momentum as the calamity advances. The greater tragedy is the breakdown of a highly cultivated, sophisticated society. Clearly a very important, classic text. Not something I am likely to read again.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pea...
December 20, 2017
This is one of four Chinese classic plays and concerns the plight of two lovers separated during the fall of the Ming Dynasty. It is not a recognizable dramatic form by Western standards. Instead, dialogue is reduced to a bare minimum and narration dominates. I believe the purpose of the book’s format is to introduce this Chinese classic to the Occident at the expense of any dramatic structure.
February 29, 2024
I probably would have appreciated this more if I could have kept the characters straight (alas), but even so, it just got better and better as it went on. The historical narrative is presented artfully, and the "twist ending" to the love story, while startling, is poignant. I'd enjoy reading another translation to compare with Acton's.
The Peach Blossom Fan is certainly less of a commitment and a challenge than the other classic Chinese historical dramas I've read, such as the Romance of Three Kingdoms, and the Shakespearean poetic tenor adds another layer to appreciate. This would be a good starting book to recommend to someone interested in the genre.
The Peach Blossom Fan is certainly less of a commitment and a challenge than the other classic Chinese historical dramas I've read, such as the Romance of Three Kingdoms, and the Shakespearean poetic tenor adds another layer to appreciate. This would be a good starting book to recommend to someone interested in the genre.
February 4, 2020
Written in 1699, this epic play is a dramatization of the events of 1643-45 in China, when the Ming dynasty fell to the Manchus, but not before setting up one last emperor in Nanjing in the south. Most of the main characters were real historical figures, and a love story is interwoven into it. Far from being a creaky old text, the play feels quite modern, and features intrigue, violence, romance, and a little bawdiness as well. Over all of it is the air of transience, both of the lives of men and of the reigns of empires, giving it the philosophical air of the long view of history.
It’s pretty special to be reading a text that’s several hundred years old and which contains a myriad of cultural, historical, and literary references over thousands of years. In this sense it’s obvious quite specific to China and helped me broaden my appreciation of its history, but at the same time, there is a universality to it. The Ming dynasty fell because of fiscal bankruptcy, natural disasters, factional jealousies, and highly corrupt leaders who cast a blind eye to the grave problems their nation faced, which should sound eerily familiar and pretty chilling to an American in 2020. It was certainly ironic to read of one of the generals suggesting impeachment against the emperor who “seems to be precipitating the ruin of the country.”
My only complaint about the English edition I read from 1976 was that the translation was painfully dated. The people and place names use the old pinyin, so that (for example) Ruan Dacheng becomes Juan Ta-ch’eng in the play, which is simply awful. There are also overly erudite or perhaps archaic English words sprinkled throughout the text, some examples of which are stook, yamen, nonce, rakehell, bedight, durance, as well as archaic meanings of words, e.g. con (meaning to study attentively), boots (benefits or avails), and beard (to bold confront). With that said, it’s clear a great deal of effort was put into the text, providing footnotes and several introductory sections which were very helpful to explain the context and all of the references.
All in all, it’s really quite an enjoyable read, and if this was a European text, I have to believe it would be better known outside of China, as it should be.
Quotes:
On endless nights of bliss:
“These golden cups create a thirst for wine,
And friendly voices urge us on to drink.
The hour is late; we droop with drowsiness,
Furtively clasping hands, our eager eyes
Look forward to a night of endless bliss,
Longing to loosen our hibiscus clothes.
Burn out, oh candles! Let the feast be done
Ere the palace water-clock its course has run!”
And this one which made me giggle:
Chang (a singer): To be frank, nearly all of us have families of at least eight mouths to support with our own two lips. If we are taken to the Inner Court, we shall never see them again and they will starve.
Cheng (a courtesan): We too have eight mouths depending on two strips of flesh.
It’s pretty special to be reading a text that’s several hundred years old and which contains a myriad of cultural, historical, and literary references over thousands of years. In this sense it’s obvious quite specific to China and helped me broaden my appreciation of its history, but at the same time, there is a universality to it. The Ming dynasty fell because of fiscal bankruptcy, natural disasters, factional jealousies, and highly corrupt leaders who cast a blind eye to the grave problems their nation faced, which should sound eerily familiar and pretty chilling to an American in 2020. It was certainly ironic to read of one of the generals suggesting impeachment against the emperor who “seems to be precipitating the ruin of the country.”
My only complaint about the English edition I read from 1976 was that the translation was painfully dated. The people and place names use the old pinyin, so that (for example) Ruan Dacheng becomes Juan Ta-ch’eng in the play, which is simply awful. There are also overly erudite or perhaps archaic English words sprinkled throughout the text, some examples of which are stook, yamen, nonce, rakehell, bedight, durance, as well as archaic meanings of words, e.g. con (meaning to study attentively), boots (benefits or avails), and beard (to bold confront). With that said, it’s clear a great deal of effort was put into the text, providing footnotes and several introductory sections which were very helpful to explain the context and all of the references.
All in all, it’s really quite an enjoyable read, and if this was a European text, I have to believe it would be better known outside of China, as it should be.
Quotes:
On endless nights of bliss:
“These golden cups create a thirst for wine,
And friendly voices urge us on to drink.
The hour is late; we droop with drowsiness,
Furtively clasping hands, our eager eyes
Look forward to a night of endless bliss,
Longing to loosen our hibiscus clothes.
Burn out, oh candles! Let the feast be done
Ere the palace water-clock its course has run!”
And this one which made me giggle:
Chang (a singer): To be frank, nearly all of us have families of at least eight mouths to support with our own two lips. If we are taken to the Inner Court, we shall never see them again and they will starve.
Cheng (a courtesan): We too have eight mouths depending on two strips of flesh.
January 31, 2024
比起只占一小部分的爱情来说，还是写的家国兴亡来得更好些。
关于侯方域和李香君的爱情，最最令人迷惑的是结局处，是二人仅听了张薇一番说教就放下感情，遁入道教。在李香君苦苦守节，侯方域颠沛流离，两人分离时无时无刻不思念彼此，如此三年后，以“大道才如是，浓情悔认真”、“回头皆幻景，对面是何人”、“桃花扇扯碎一条条”作结，不会让人感到怅然若失，反而是莫名其妙。且不论二人情感转折之生硬，关于不应儿女情长，张薇给出的理由是国、家、君、父不在，正是用宏大叙事来否定个人追求。
论气节，（以及人物的丰满程度，）李明显高于侯。新婚之夜若不是香君断然拒绝阮大铖提供的妆奁，侯方域只怕是要受了拉拢。香君爱憎分明，爱则可为半月良缘守空房，恨则对马、阮之流当面痛骂。侯朝宗则更像是个串联情节、观察其他场景的工具。
但不得不说，本书的结构着实精密，前期伏线极多，读到后来常有恍然大悟之感。比如剧末访拿山林隐逸的皂吏，竟是第一出里为了请客看花，占满道院的魏府徐公子。
亡国臣子写得极生动，左良玉气极呕血，史可法泣血、投江，黄得功刎颈，都极悲壮、极凄凉。特摘录在此：
关于侯方域和李香君的爱情，最最令人迷惑的是结局处，是二人仅听了张薇一番说教就放下感情，遁入道教。在李香君苦苦守节，侯方域颠沛流离，两人分离时无时无刻不思念彼此，如此三年后，以“大道才如是，浓情悔认真”、“回头皆幻景，对面是何人”、“桃花扇扯碎一条条”作结，不会让人感到怅然若失，反而是莫名其妙。且不论二人情感转折之生硬，关于不应儿女情长，张薇给出的理由是国、家、君、父不在，正是用宏大叙事来否定个人追求。
论气节，（以及人物的丰满程度，）李明显高于侯。新婚之夜若不是香君断然拒绝阮大铖提供的妆奁，侯方域只怕是要受了拉拢。香君爱憎分明，爱则可为半月良缘守空房，恨则对马、阮之流当面痛骂。侯朝宗则更像是个串联情节、观察其他场景的工具。
但不得不说，本书的结构着实精密，前期伏线极多，读到后来常有恍然大悟之感。比如剧末访拿山林隐逸的皂吏，竟是第一出里为了请客看花，占满道院的魏府徐公子。
亡国臣子写得极生动，左良玉气极呕血，史可法泣血、投江，黄得功刎颈，都极悲壮、极凄凉。特摘录在此：
（小生怒介）岂有此理！不用猜疑，这是我儿左梦庚做出此事，陷我为反叛之臣。罢了，罢了！有何面目，再向江东？（拔剑欲自刎介。末抱住介。小生拉外手，注目介）临侯，临侯，我负你了！（作呕血倒地上介。）
皇天列圣，高高呼不省。阑珊残局，剩俺支撑，奈人心俱瓦崩。俺史可法好苦命也！（哭介）协力少良朋，同心无弟兄。只靠你们三千子弟，谁料今日呵，都想逃生，漫不关情。这江山倒像设着筵席请。（拍胸介）史可法，史可法！平生枉读诗书，空谈忠孝，到今日其实没法了。（哭介）哭声祖宗，哭声百姓。（大哭介。末劝介）元帅保重，军国事大，徒哭无益也。（前扶介）你看泪点淋漓，把战袍都湿透了。（惊介）唉！怎么一阵血腥？快掌灯来。（杂点灯照介）呵呀！浑身血点，是那里来的？（外拭目介）都是俺眼中流出来。哭的俺一腔血，作泪零。
撇下俺断篷船，丢下俺无家犬。叫天呼地千百遍，归无路，进又难前。（登高望介）那滚滚雪浪拍天，流不尽湘累怨。（指介）有了，有了！那便是俺葬身之地。胜黄土，一丈江鱼腹宽展。（看身介）俺史可法亡国罪臣，那容的冠裳而去？（摘帽，脱袍、靴介）摘脱下袍靴冠冕。（副末）我看老爷竟像要寻死的模样。（拉住介）老爷三思，不可短见呀！（外）你看茫茫世界，留着俺史可法何处安放？累死英雄，到此日看江山换主，无可留恋。
平生骁勇无人当，拉不���黄袍北上，笑断江东父老肠。罢，罢，罢！一死，无可报国。（拔剑大叫介）大小三军，都来看断头将军呀！（一剑刎死介）
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 28, 2023
Following the NYRB list is my new hobby as a reader, and that brings me to works that haven’t been translated in my native language, such as The Peach Blossom Fan. What is it ? A Chinese play from the end of the 17th century that in 44 scenes tells of the last days of the Ming dynasty and weaves a love story and some Taoist philosophy into it. It takes place in Nanking and features bold as brass scholars, dignified courtesans, upstart corrupt officials and brave military men who alternate between singing, reciting and speaking their lines. If it has many more characters, the play finds the same balance between drama and psychology, noble and bawdy register that you would expect in Shakespeare. Overall I found the story very good and engaging, which is all the more commendable as it appears to be faithful to history. The love story is actually rather in the background, and it’s really the individual destinies reflecting the dispositions of the characters that has captivated me. The ending was less climatic than I had thought, or rather it ties everything together in a way that is entirely its own.
October 2, 2025
I became inspired to read this after reading about the fall of the Ming dynasty. Last month I saw the location on the hill behind the forbidden palace where a sign marks the spot the Chongzhen emperor committed suicide, in a hopeless position with an invasion imminent.
This play however, takes place in southern China, mostly Nanjing, where remnants of Ming loyalists try to uphold a new Ming emperor. Lots of infighting, betrayal, and corruption ensues, but the primary storyline is of the two lovers, Hou and the Fragrant Princess. Both based on historical figures. The play centers around the titular peach blossom fan which morphs at different points in the narrative and becomes a symbol.
I won’t spoil it, but the ending was extremely unconventional but powerful.
This play has over 40 scenes, which is very long by play standards. Apparently when this was performed; they’d omit different scenes and only put on a certain set? For each scene I would try to guess how omittable it was.
This play however, takes place in southern China, mostly Nanjing, where remnants of Ming loyalists try to uphold a new Ming emperor. Lots of infighting, betrayal, and corruption ensues, but the primary storyline is of the two lovers, Hou and the Fragrant Princess. Both based on historical figures. The play centers around the titular peach blossom fan which morphs at different points in the narrative and becomes a symbol.
I won’t spoil it, but the ending was extremely unconventional but powerful.
This play has over 40 scenes, which is very long by play standards. Apparently when this was performed; they’d omit different scenes and only put on a certain set? For each scene I would try to guess how omittable it was.
January 15, 2019
This version is lack of the very first and the very last chapter. It is a pity! Besides, some characters are missing from the text. Only a few.
The book is based on real history of late Ming dynasty, even the dates are accurate. To make a full story, some details are added, and so it is not a history, but a play. The main character Hou actually betrayed his emperor In the real world. He then felt regret when he got aged, and named his book as "regret".
The language is perfect classic Chinese. But the ending is hard to understand. The lovers meet after years, and they still love each other, and they all give up.
The best part is in the missing last character, and so no shown.
The book is based on real history of late Ming dynasty, even the dates are accurate. To make a full story, some details are added, and so it is not a history, but a play. The main character Hou actually betrayed his emperor In the real world. He then felt regret when he got aged, and named his book as "regret".
The language is perfect classic Chinese. But the ending is hard to understand. The lovers meet after years, and they still love each other, and they all give up.
The best part is in the missing last character, and so no shown.
July 6, 2022
虽然和真正的古诗词相比，已经算是通俗易懂，但依然对我来说有些艰涩。（很难想象，清朝的普通士大夫尽然有这样的文学底蕴，完全靠听就可以欣赏作者的文笔。）
故事本身是颇有充满张力的，这一种亡国之恨，唯有通过出世的心态（就像最后一章那般）才可以有所了解。这仿佛是很多明清小说必然的“逃避所”（例如红楼梦也是一般）。
而故事中的爱情部分，则是极大描写了李香君对于爱情的执着。这点，侯方域其实更像是个反面人物（很多时候完全忘记了香君的存在）
故事本身是颇有充满张力的，这一种亡国之恨，唯有通过出世的心态（就像最后一章那般）才可以有所了解。这仿佛是很多明清小说必然的“逃避所”（例如红楼梦也是一般）。
而故事中的爱情部分，则是极大描写了李香君对于爱情的执着。这点，侯方域其实更像是个反面人物（很多时候完全忘记了香君的存在）
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 29, 2020
2.5. Ending was better than I expected, but the English translation was very distant and meh
September 25, 2021
A new viewpoint of the South Ming Dynasty. Not so romantic, but so real.
July 8, 2024
This is a New York Review Book (NYRB) classic I chose to buy some years ago and which I used to complete several 2024 book challenge prompts. It is a translation of a Chinese classic considered the "greatest historical drama of Chinese literature" (page vii). It seeks to dramatize the "violent fall of the Ming dynasty" and is set in the years 1643-1645. Further it "depicts the founding and self-destruction of the most important of the holdout southern Ming regimes" (page viii). The play "exposes" the court's troubles, foibles, corruption, frivolousness, and military blunders. The drama, however, is constructed around the love story of Fragrant Blossom, a budding courtesan, and Hou Fanyu, a man of letters, who become separated during the struggle but are reunited at the end. Interesting, Fragrant Blossom is a character of fierce independence as she refuses to be given to another man and lashes out against the villains who seek to keep her separated from her true love. For me at least, she is the character I most identified with. While I appreciated the story and the historical setting, I realized in reading how limited my understanding of traditional Chinese drama is, so I struggled in reading the play - a genre I never read either, and probably intimidates me somewhat. I think this is why I am giving it a lower star rating, but I also thought the play just had too much going on making it hard to appreciate the story line (again this could be a cultural limitation on my part); I'd have preferred the story just be about the love with the internal politics as side piece. However, that aside, the poetry (the songs) are very beautiful to read.
November 7, 2019
Young lovers separated by war; government corruption, infighting, and rivalry for the throne as a dynasty collapses; plus nearly as many poetry contests as military battles; what more could one ask for in a drama? For a modern reader, perhaps a different ending.
Based somewhat on real events in mid-17th century China, as Ming officials bicker and scheme for position behind two rival pretenders to the throne, while right in front of their eyes, their dynasty crumbles under the Manchu invasion. The stylized nature of the opera form gives it a feel of modern political satire, in which even the most upright of characters is not without blemish and ulterior motives.
Overshadowing the fighting and political intrigue is the heart-wrenching story of the two lovers, separated the day after their wedding, navigating the chaos and slaughter around them in their search for one another. Spoiler: Of course they do reunite in the end, briefly, in a conclusion which would make perfect sense to an audience of the time. I very rarely shout out loud at books, but this one had me yelling in frustration at the end of the last scene.
My expectations had been raised by Cyril Birch being associated with the translation. Alas, he merely edited it. This translation lacks the soaring poetry of his gorgeous translation of The Peony Pavilion, but it is still an enjoyable experience for anyone interested in Chinese literature and theatre.
Based somewhat on real events in mid-17th century China, as Ming officials bicker and scheme for position behind two rival pretenders to the throne, while right in front of their eyes, their dynasty crumbles under the Manchu invasion. The stylized nature of the opera form gives it a feel of modern political satire, in which even the most upright of characters is not without blemish and ulterior motives.
Overshadowing the fighting and political intrigue is the heart-wrenching story of the two lovers, separated the day after their wedding, navigating the chaos and slaughter around them in their search for one another. Spoiler: Of course they do reunite in the end, briefly, in a conclusion which would make perfect sense to an audience of the time. I very rarely shout out loud at books, but this one had me yelling in frustration at the end of the last scene.
My expectations had been raised by Cyril Birch being associated with the translation. Alas, he merely edited it. This translation lacks the soaring poetry of his gorgeous translation of The Peony Pavilion, but it is still an enjoyable experience for anyone interested in Chinese literature and theatre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2017
A wonderful work by Kung Shang-Jen (Kong Shangren). Its completed in 1699 to explain the decline of Ming dynasty and to express Kong's feelings about it.
The play 'Peach Blossom Fan' is named after the favorite fan of the central female protagonist Li Hsiang Chun (Li Xiangjun) and which is decorated by blood stains that have been rendered into the blossoms of a flowering peach tree.
The stories and characters in the drama were based on both historical facts and fictitious imaginations. Li Hsiang chun, Hou Fang yu, Juang Ta Cheng (Ruan Dacheng), Ma Shih Ying, Prince Fu, etc they all did exist.
What shocked me about this drama is the ending. The Peach Blossom Fan was torn, then the lovers followed the Taoist way.
The play 'Peach Blossom Fan' is named after the favorite fan of the central female protagonist Li Hsiang Chun (Li Xiangjun) and which is decorated by blood stains that have been rendered into the blossoms of a flowering peach tree.
The stories and characters in the drama were based on both historical facts and fictitious imaginations. Li Hsiang chun, Hou Fang yu, Juang Ta Cheng (Ruan Dacheng), Ma Shih Ying, Prince Fu, etc they all did exist.
What shocked me about this drama is the ending. The Peach Blossom Fan was torn, then the lovers followed the Taoist way.
May 10, 2012
konec to zabil...
September 20, 2015
we only read sections of this book but it was a good story with an interesting background
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April 15, 20221699
November 1, 2023
回頭皆幻景，對面是何人。
Favourite line. Love tragedy with a Buddhist twist in the end
Favourite line. Love tragedy with a Buddhist twist in the end
June 9, 2015
Amazing imagery and a beautiful window into fall of the Ming dynasty and different cultural values.
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