Tang Xianzu

TimelineCBDB

1. 1583 太常博士 萬曆
2. 1583 禮部祠祭司主事
3. 1585 禮部主事 萬曆
4. 1591 典史
5. 1591 縣典史 萬曆
6. 1593 知縣
7. 1594 知縣 萬曆

Office recordsCBDB

FamilyCBDB

AliasesCBDB

• 二 行第
• 海若 室名、別號
• 海若士 室名、別號
• 淸遠道人 室名、別號
• 清遠樓 室名、別號
• 清遠道人 室名、別號
• 玉茗堂 室名、別號
• 玉茗堂主人 室名、別號
• 繭翁 室名、別號
• 義仍 字
• 義少 字
• 若士 室名、別號

StatusCBDB

• 戲曲作家

AssociationsCBDB

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ExaminationsCBDB

WorksCBDB

Citations

1. [1] Identity and dates The records consistently identify Tang Xianzu as a Ming-dynasty playwright or writer born in 1550 and deceased in 1616, from Linchuan in Fuzhou Prefecture.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The record supplies his English name, birth and death years, Ming dynasty affiliation, playwright status, and Linchuan native place.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries give 1550–1616, identify him as a playwright and writer, and place him in Fuzhou Prefecture's Linchuan.
   • WikidataTang Xianzu (Q945333)The entity is labelled Tang Xianzu and described as a Chinese playwright of 1550–1616 and a Ming-dynasty playwright.
   • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority entry gives his name, Ming dynasty, year-bounded birth and death, and playwright identity.
2. [2] Names and studio His courtesy name changed from Yishao to Yireng; the records preserve the listed sobriquets, the studio name Yumingtang, and variant forms 若干 and 清運道人.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The name fields give Yishao, Yireng, Hairuo, Hairuoshi, Ruoshi, Qingyuandaoren, Yumingtang, Yumingtangzhuren, and Jianweng, with the relevant name types.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries describe the change of courtesy name, the sobriquets, the studio name, and the variant forms 若干 and 清運道人.
   • WikidataTang Xianzu (Q945333)The alias list preserves the English forms Hairuo, Qingyuandaoren, Ruoshi, Yireng, Yumingtang, and Yumingtangzhuren.
   • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority entry confirms the corresponding Chinese forms of Yireng, Hairuo, Qingyuan Daoren, Ruoshi, and Jianweng.
3. [3] Ancestral home and migration His ancestral home was in Yunshan township, Linchuan County, and the family later moved to Tangjiashan in Fuzhou.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The native-place field identifies Linchuan.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries specify the Yunshan township lineage and the later move to Tangjiashan in Fuzhou.
4. [4] Family The family entries name his great-grandfather, grandfather, father, mother, four younger brothers, wife, and second son.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The kinship fields name the great-grandfather, grandfather, father, mother, four younger brothers, wife, and second son.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entry adds the family background of grandfather 湯懋昭 and father 湯尚賢.
5. [5] Family background The account describes his grandfather's interest in Laozi, Zhuangzi, and immortals, and his father's stern character.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entry directly describes the grandfather's interests and the father's character.
6. [6] Provincial examination He passed the Jiangxi provincial examination in 1570; one account gives eighth place, while another entry gives 65 for the juren rank.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The examination fields identify him as a juren and give the rank 65.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries give the 1570 Jiangxi examination and the eighth-place account.
7. [7] Repeated attempts and jinshi degree He declined Zhang Juzheng's recruitment, failed four times, and made the documented attempts in 1577 and 1580; in 1583 he passed the Guiwei jinshi examination and ranked 211th in the third tier.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The examination fields identify the jinshi degree and the third-tier rank of 211.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries describe the early literary reputation, refusal of Zhang Juzheng's recruitment, four failures, the 1577 and 1580 attempts, and the 1583 Guiwei jinshi degree.
8. [8] Nanjing offices After the jinshi examination he held offices in Nanjing including Taichang boshi, Zhan shi fu zhubu, Xingbu zhushi, and Libu Ciji si zhushi; he remained in a nominal Nanjing post because he would not attach himself to Shen Shixing.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The office fields list the Rites and Sacrifices post, Taichang boshi, Ministry of Justice post, and Nanjing as the posting place.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries add Zhan shi fu zhubu, Nanjing Xingbu zhushi, and the Nanjing Rites post, and describe his refusal to attach himself to the new chief grand secretary.
   • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority note states that his refusal to follow Shen Shixing left him in a nominal Nanjing post.
9. [9] Memorial and Xuwen demotion In 1591 he wrote the memorial 〈論輔臣科臣疏〉, attacked Shen Shixing and government abuses, and was demoted to dian shi at Xuwen in Guangdong.
   • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The office fields connect the county dian shi post with Xuwen and date its beginning to 1591.
   • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries describe the memorial, the impeachment of Shen Shixing, the exposure of abuses, and the demotion to Xuwen.
   • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority note names the memorial, its exposure of current abuses, and the appointment as Guangdong Xuwen dian shi.
10. [10] Suichang and retirement He held a Zhejiang county magistracy dated 1593 and served as magistrate of Suichang from 1594 to 1598; he was described as honest and popular but was dismissed for refusing powerful interests. In 1598 he returned home and established the Yumingtang retreat in Linchuan, devoting the rest of his life to drama and literary composition.
    • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The office fields give the 1593 Zhejiang county post and the 1594–1598 Suichang appointment, corresponding to Wanli years 22–26.
    • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries describe the transfer to Suichang, his local administration, dismissal, return home, construction of Yumingtang, and devotion to creative work.
    • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority note gives the Suichang appointment, the 1598 resignation, the Yumingtang retreat, and his lifelong dramatic and literary work.
11. [11] Associates He was associated with early Donglin leaders Gu Xiancheng, Gao Panlong, and Zou Yuanbiao, and with the writers Yuan Hongdao, Shen Maoxue, Tu Long, Xu Wei, and Mei Dingzuo.
    • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entry directly names the Donglin leaders and writers in his circle and calls them his friends.
    • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The association fields independently show correspondence or other links with Gu Xiancheng, Zou Yuanbiao, Mei Dingzuo, Tu Long, Yuan Hongdao, and Gao Panlong.
12. [12] Intellectual influences His thought was strongly influenced by Li Zhi and the Chan master Daguan.
    • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority note explicitly names Li Zhi and the Chan master Daguan as major influences.
13. [13] Four Dreams The four plays are Zicha ji, Huanhun ji, Handan ji, and Nanke ji; Zicha ji is a revision of Zixiao ji, Huanhun ji is also identified with Mudan ting, and the group is called the Yumingtang Four Dreams or Linchuan Four Dreams.
    • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The texts fields list Nanke ji, Yumingtang si meng, Zixiao ji, Zicha ji, Huanhun ji, and Handan ji.
    • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries give the revision and alternative-title relationships and the two collective names.
    • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority note identifies the Yumingtang Four Dreams as his famous dramatic work.
14. [14] Poetry and prose collections His poetry and prose collections include Hongquan yicao, Wenji youcao, and Yumingtang ji; the second title also occurs in the variant form 問棘棘郵草.
    • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entries list the three collections and preserve the two forms of the Wenji youcao title.
    • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority note also lists Hongquan yicao among his works.
15. [15] Collected works and juan counts The number of juan given for Yumingtang quanji differs between four and forty-six; related collections are recorded in fifteen and sixteen juan, and further works include the two forms of Xu Yuchu zhi and Yinfu jing jie in one juan.
    • CBDBTang Xianzu (65870)The texts fields give the forty-six-juan Yumingtang quanji, the fifteen-juan wenji, the sixteen-juan shiji, Xu Yuchu zhi, and the one-juan Yinfu jing jie with its authorship role.
    • Souyun湯顯祖 (51308)The biographical entry gives a four-juan form of Yumingtang quanji.
    • DILA Buddhist Authority Database湯顯祖 (A007638)The authority note preserves the variant title Xu Yuchu xin zhi.