Kong Shangren

Kong Shangren
Born1648
Died1718(1718-00-00) (aged 69–70)
Notable workThe 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]

Kong Shangren tomb in the Cemetery of Confucius, Qufu

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 Gējì 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]

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