Liu Mengmei
Liu Mengmei (柳梦梅/柳夢梅) is the main fictionalized character within Tang Xianzu's play The Peony Pavilion, "Liu" meaning 'willow' and "Mengmei" 'dream of plum'. Mengmei was a descendant to the reputed poet Liu Zongyuan, Prefect of Liuzhou during the Tang dynasty period, and would be born into a family branch present within the District of Longnan. His father respectively held the title of Doctor-at-Large; his mother: Lady of the County. Having been orphaned at an early age and taken into the care of a gardener by the name of Camelback Guo, Mengmei rose from his place of residence by mid-adulthood, resolved to reach the capital prefecture of Guangzhou Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about nor ... and complete the secondary examinations for political office. Two weeks pri ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tang Xianzu
Tang Xianzu ( zh, t=湯顯祖, s=汤显祖, first=t; September 24, 1550 – July 29, 1616), courtesy name Yireng (), was a Chinese playwright of the Ming Dynasty. Biography Tang was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi and his career as an official consisted principally of low-level positions. He successfully participated in the provincial examinations ('' juren'') at the age of 21 and at the imperial examinations ('' jinshi'') at the age of 34. He held official positions in Nanjing, Zhejiang province, Guangdong province etc. After serving as the magistrate of Suichang, Zhejiang from 1593 to 1598, he retired in 1598 and returned to his hometown where he focused on writing. Tang died in 1616, the same year as famed English playwright William Shakespeare. His major plays are collectively called the ''Four Dreams'', because of the decisive role dreams play in the plot of each one. All of them are still performed (in scenes, or in adapted full versions) on the Chinese Kun opera ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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The Peony Pavilion
''The Peony Pavilion'' (), also named ''The Return of Soul at the Peony Pavilion'', is a romantic tragicomedy play written by dramatist Tang Xianzu in 1598. The plot was drawn from the short story ''Du Liniang Revives For Love'' and depicts a love story between Du Liniang and Liu Mengmei that overcomes all odds. Tang's play diverges from the short story in that it integrates elements of the Ming dynasty, despite being set in the Southern Song. The play was originally written for staging as Kunqu opera, one of the genres of traditional Chinese theatre arts. It was first performed in 1598 at the Pavilion of Prince Teng. Its author, Tang Xianzu, was one of the greatest dramatists and writers of the Ming dynasty, and ''The Peony Pavilion'' can be regarded as the most successful masterpiece of his life. It is also one of the dramas in Tang's famous collection ''Linchuan si meng'' (The Four Dreams in the Jade Tea Hall), along with ''Zichai Ji (''The Purple Hairpin), ''Nanke Ji'' (A Dream ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. Historians generally regard the Tang as a high point in Chinese civilisation, and a Golden age (metaphor), golden age of cosmopolitan culture. Tang territory, acquired through the military campaigns of its early rulers, rivalled that of the Han dynasty. The House of Li, Li family founded the dynasty after taking advantage of a period of Sui decline and precipitating their final collapse, in turn inaugurating a period of progress and stability in the first half of the dynasty's rule. The dynasty was formally interrupted during 690–705 when Empress Wu Zetian seized the throne, proclaiming the Wu Zhou dynasty and becoming the only legitimate Chinese empress regnant. The An Lushan rebellion (755 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Guangzhou
Guangzhou, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Canton or Kwangchow, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Guangdong Provinces of China, province in South China, southern China. Located on the Pearl River about northwest of Hong Kong and north of Macau, Guangzhou has a history of over 2,200 years and was a major terminus of the Silk Road. The port of Guangzhou serves as a transportation hub for China's fourth largest city and surrounding areas, including Hong Kong. Guangzhou was captured by the United Kingdom, British during the First Opium War and no longer enjoyed a monopoly after the war; consequently it lost trade to other ports such as Hong Kong and Shanghai, but continued to serve as a major entrepôt. Following the Second Battle of Chuenpi in 1841, the Treaty of Nanking was signed between Robert Peel, Sir Robert Peel on behalf of Queen Victoria and Lin Zexu on behalf of Daoguang Emperor, Emperor Xuanzong and ceded British Hong Kong, Hong Kon ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |