The Tang Xianzu Memorial Hall in Fuzhou is a comprehensive cultural venue built to commemorate Tang Xianzu, one of the world’s hundred great cultural figures and a master of Ming‑dynasty drama in China. It is also one of Jiangxi Province’s ten major memorial halls dedicated to historical luminaries.

A Series of Articles Commemorating the 410th Anniversary of Tang Xianzu’s Passing | Tang Xianzu and Hongquan

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2026-05-07

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The relationship between Tang Xianzu and “Hongquan” can be summarized in five sentences: “Hongquan” was a haven of respite during the low point of Tang Xianzu’s life; it marked the starting point where his Confucian and Daoist ideas collided; it served as the cradle from which he sought to advance his official career; it was the place where he composed his first dramatic work, “The Purple Flute”; and it became the “land of dreams and souls” for his magnum opus, the opera “The Peony Pavilion.”

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Author | Text by Zhang Junhua, Photos by Huang Chuchen

Title Photo | Distant view of Zhuangyuan Ridge (stock photo)

In the poems and prose of Tang Xianzu’s youth, the place name “Hongquan” is mentioned more than twenty times. He compiled the poems he composed between the ages of twelve and twenty-five into a collection titled “Hongquan Yicao,” and even inscribed his dramatic work “Zixiao Ji,” written when he was in his thirties, with the attribution “Compiled at Hongquan Pavilion in Linchuan.” Thus, “Hongquan” stands as a vivid cultural symbol in Tang Xianzu’s formative years.

The “Red Spring” depicted by Tang Xianzu is none other than the Linchuan Hot Springs, located fifteen li west of present-day Fuzhou. The term “Red Spring” originates from Xie Lingyun, the Inner Historian of Linchuan during the Eastern Jin dynasty, whose poem “Entering Huazigang, the Third Valley of Mayuan” reads: “Copper ridges reflect the azure stream, stone steps cascade with the red spring.” Tang Xianzu maintained that the lines “copper ridges” and “azure stream” describe the scenic beauty of Xiangui Peak and the hot springs in the Linchuan region. Like Tang Xianzu, many literati of the Song and Ming dynasties shared this view; yet others insisted that the site was actually at the Mayuan Reservoir in Nancheng. Consequently, the old *Chronicles of Linchuan County* and the old *Chronicles of Nancheng County* offer conflicting accounts, giving rise to considerable controversy.

“Hongquan” was a residence during Tang Xianzu’s youth, inherited from his grandfather, Lord You Tang’s estate. In his early poem “Red Spring—Home Swallows,” Tang Xianzu wrote: “The elders ride the clouds, singing of purple mushrooms; at the red pavilion, flowers and willows bloom in uneven profusion. The misty rain and fragrant air are all drenched, while the verdant shade and faint smoke shift gently. In this world, a hundred years are hard to seize; in the springtime, all things bear a private grace. Now, young and old alike revere the joyous celebration of Jiaqing—on the grass, with wine and orchids, we dare not decline.” The line about the “elders” likely praises his grandfather, Lord You Tang, for his devotion to Daoism and his carefree, unrestrained way of life. Coupled with the poem’s title, “Red Spring—Home Swallows,” it can also be inferred that this place was originally part of the family estate and may later have been transferred into Tang Xianzu’s name. From this passage, we further learn that Lord You Tang once brought the young Tang Xianzu here to linger and dwell.

Tang Xianzu made his home at “Hongquan,” devoting himself chiefly to the study of books. He regarded “Hongquan” as his private study, often receiving literary friends there; as he wrote in his poem “Farewell to a Friend at Hongquan”: “With sleeves swept aside, I linger in the empty mountains, where plain silk is parted from this moment onward. Soon I shall soar like the yellow crane, my nature far removed from the flock of sparrows. Orchid leaves cloak the secluded ravine, and carried by the wind they release a distant fragrance. How winding and meandering is the verdant valley—there, together with you, we till and gather wood. One path escorts the setting sun, while myriad peaks array themselves against the lingering clouds. Green mist hangs heavy and somber, and golden mushrooms bloom in splendid profusion. Awe‑struck, I grow weary of reclining on the jade‑like bed, yet long for the laurels earned at the silver‑paved court. I envy the boy in the purple robe, while you have crossed the vast sea. Who will pity the late‑blooming osmanthus branch, whose falling petals stir thoughts of that lingering, fragrant haze?” This poem is a farewell piece, composed in late autumn; the “verdant valley” stands for Jinxi. Considering Tang Xianzu’s youthful social circle, it may well have been a send‑off for friends such as Xie Tingliang, who had come to pay him a visit. Moreover, the line “together with you, we till and gather wood” subtly alludes to the austere life of reclusive study.

Tang Xianzu resided at “Hongquan,” and the most frequently recorded aspect of his life there was convalescence. For instance, at the age of twenty-three, he composed the poem “A Preface to Sending Minister Tan Off to the Frontier,” which includes the line, “This humble youth lies alone, ill, amid Hongquan.” Again, at twenty-eight, in his poem “Lying Ill at Hongquan, Thinking of Luofu and Qi Yanzeng,” we find the line, “Lying sick upon the stones of Hongquan.” And before he turned thirty, in “Lying Sick in Tongling, Missing Master Wang of Nandu, Yingjiao,” there is the phrase, “lying sick in Tongling.” All these passages indicate that “Hongquan” lay nestled among the mountains of Tongling—its setting both tranquil and remote, making it an ideal place for recuperation and self-cultivation.

Among the passages in Tang Xianzu’s writings that mention “Hongquan,” the most moving recounts his newlywed days, when his father-in-law came to visit them. As the poem “A Spring Excursion to Bi Jian with My Father-in-law” goes: “In youthful play, the boy rejoices; old Master Sun delights in rinsing stones. On the cliff, the sun’s rays are dimmed; in the stream, the pines’ murmurs are concealed. Tiger tracks appear upon the precipice; dragon whiskers brush the water as it flows. From here, West Hua is crossed; along the long slope lies the Golden Essence.” Here, “father-in-law” refers to his wife’s father; chronologically, this poem was composed before Tang Xianzu passed the provincial examination at the age of twenty-one. The line about “West Hua” alludes to his new bride, Wu Yuying, conveying the message that he wished to reassure his father-in-law: his daughter was living a life as if in paradise.

So, where exactly is the hometown of the “Red Spring” depicted in Tang Xianzu’s works, in present-day terms?

Yingbijian in Tongling (stock photo)

The most straightforward account appears in a poem titled “Unmet” composed by Tang Xianzu around the age of thirty: “Cassia trees enfold the azure clouds, and I muse, all for you. I gather my robes and gaze afar, lifting my head to peer at the Dragon Gate. Yet the Dragon Gate remains unseen; only white clouds drift idly in the sky. How dare the Heavenly Mountains stretch far and wide? The old scorched plain still lies there, its structure unchanged. I long to distill the pearls and pebbles into a simple truth, that their faint glow might glimpse the jade‑filled abyss.” This poem was likely written when Tang Xianzu, having suffered setbacks in the imperial examinations, withdrew into seclusion at Hongquan. In it, the line “the old scorched plain still lies there” explicitly identifies his ancestral home—“Hongquan”—as situated precisely on that “old scorched plain.” Moreover, in another poem, “To Magistrate Siming,” composed when Tang Xianzu was twenty-nine, we find the verse: “Beneath Tongling’s heights, Hongquan mirrors itself from afar,” which further clarifies that the “old scorched plain” lay at some distance from “Hongquan” (here referring to the Rì Spring of Linchuan’s hot springs).

Drawing on the scenic features of the “Old Jiao Yuan” area as depicted in Tang Xianzu’s poetry and prose—such as the line “osmanthus trees shrouded in azure clouds,” which evokes the ethereal peak of Immortal Osmanthus soaring into the heavens—and passages like “the winding stream” and “the long slope” in “A Wander through the Azure Brook with My Father-in-law,” as well as “leaning and gazing toward the Orchid Pond” in “Recalling Red Spring”—we find that these landscapes closely resemble those of the “Zhang Yuan” region frequently mentioned by Tang Xianzu. For instance, in his poem “Autumn Evening at Zhang Yuan, a Gift to a Guest,” composed before he turned twenty-five, he writes, “The autumn hues are inherently bleak; ascending the heights, one harbors distant sentiments.” Similarly, in “Alone on an Autumn Night in the Fields, With Thoughts Afloat,” we encounter the line “In vain I climb the ridge’s summit.” And in “Gazing upon Zhang Yuan,” there is the verse: “From the western sun I dimly behold Zhang Yuan, where hazy mist veils the distant village. The stone steps and red spring are no mere external adornments; the jade pool and clear waters spring from an inner sacred root…” This passage explicitly links “Red Spring” with “Zhang Yuan,” thereby confirming that “Old Jiao Yuan” is none other than “Zhang Yuan.”

The place name “Zhangyuan” is also known as “Zhangyuanling,” which today is phonetically rendered as “Zhuangyuanling.” Located about three li west of Xiangguifeng Peak, it was during the Ming and Qing dynasties a vital transportation route linking Zhanping in Linchuan with Tongyuan. The area, once called “Bijian,” has now been transformed into a reservoir, and the ancient “Zhuangyuanling” post road has fallen into disuse. As for how “Zhangyuanling” came to be renamed “Zhuangyuanling,” local legend attributes the change to a story about a scholar named Ye from Lingnan who, inspired by a dream, attained the top imperial examination title—this tale is recorded in the old *Linchuan County Gazetteer*. Coincidentally, a remarkably similar plot reappears in Tang Xianzu’s play *The Peony Pavilion*: again featuring a scholar from Lingnan named Liu Mengmei, again involving a dream, and again culminating in his success at the imperial examinations.

In summary, the relationship between Tang Xianzu and “Hongquan” can be encapsulated in five statements: “Hongquan” was a haven of respite during the low point of Tang Xianzu’s life; it marked the starting point for the collision of his Confucian and Daoist thought; it served as the cradle from which he sought to launch his official career; it was the birthplace of his first dramatic work, “The Purple Flute”; and it became the “land of dream‑spirits” for his magnum opus, the opera “The Peony Pavilion.”

Tang Xianzu and the “Hongquan” still hold rich cultural significance and untapped tourism potential, and could well become another key cultural hallmark of Fuzhou’s integrated cultural‑tourism development.

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Source: Fuzhou Publicity

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