tāng 汤

Tang Xianzu (1550–1617) was a native of Linchuan, Jiangxi during the Ming Dynasty. His courtesy name was Yireng, and he had the sobriquets Hairuo and Ruoshi. He also went by the pen - name Qingyuan Daoren. He was a Jinshi during the Wanli period and once served as the Chief Secretary of the Ministry of Rites. Due to criticizing the court, he was demoted from office and later resigned to return to his hometown, where he focused on writing. His poetry was modeled after Bai Juyi (Xiangshan) and Su Shi (Meishan), and his prose was inspired by Zeng Gong (Nanfeng) and Wang Anshi (Linchuan). He was particularly proficient in opera. His representative works include "The Peony Pavilion", "The Story of Handan", "The Story of Nanke", and "The Purple Hairpin", collectively known as "The Four Dreams of Yuming Hall" or "The Four Operas of Linchuan". His works feature beautiful and vivid diction, and the choices of settings and materials are excellent, having a great influence on later generations. His "Collected Works of Yuming Hall" has been passed down to this day.