Kong Shangren | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 1648 |
| Died | 1718 (aged 69–70) |
| Notable work | The Peach Blossom Fan |
Kong Shangren (Chinese: 孔尚任; pinyin: Kǒng Shàngrèn; Wade–Giles: K'ung Shang-jen; 1648 – 1718) was a Qing dynasty dramatist and poet best known for his chuanqi play The Peach Blossom Fan[1] about the last days of the Ming dynasty.[2]
Born in Qufu, Kong was a 64th-generation descendant of Confucius.[1] He guided the Kangxi Emperor when he visited Qufu.
The Peach Blossom Fan tells the story of the love story between the scholar Hou Fangyu and the courtesan Li Xiangjun,[3] against the dramatic backdrop of the short history of the Southern Ming. It remains a favourite of the Kun opera (kunqu) stage.
Kong Shangren is known as the author of a curious poem dedicated to the eyeglasses, a Western innovation brought to Macau by the Portuguese.[4]
- ^ a b "Frommer's China", Simon Foster et al., 2010, p. 383, ISBN 0-470-52658-0
- ^ "Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance: Kong Shangren". answers.com. Retrieved 2010-12-27.
- ^ "河南发现秦淮名妓李香君后人忍辱负重求生存".
- ^ Spence, The Search for Modern China, 64–65.