(The Tale of the) Peach Blossom Spring (Chinese: 桃花源记; pinyin: Táohuā Yuán; literally "Source of [the River of] the Peach Blossoms"[N.B. 1]) or The Peach Blossom Land was a fable by Tao Yuanming in 421 about a chance discovery of an ethereal utopia where the people lead an ideal existence in harmony with nature, unaware of the outside world for centuries.
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Written during a time of political instability and national disunity, the poem describes how a fisherman haphazardly sailed into a river in a forest made up entirely of blossoming peach trees, where even the ground was covered by peach petals. When he reached the end the river (spring in some translations), the source turned out to be a grotto. Though narrow at first, he was able to squeeze through and the passage eventually reached a vibrant village with animals and people of all ages.
The villagers were surprised to see him, but were kind and friendly. They explained that their ancestors escaped to this place during the civil unrest of the Qin and they haven't left since or had contact with anyone from the outside, so they never heard anything about the subsequent changes in political regimes.
The fisherman was warmly received by the hospitable villagers and stayed for over a week. Upon leaving, he was informed that it was worthless to reveal this experience to the world. However, he marked his route on his out with signs and later divulged the existence of this idyllic haven to others. They tried to find it repeatedly but were in vain.
The expression shìwaì taóyuán (世外桃源 ‘the Peach Spring beyond this world’) has become a popular Chinese expression, meaning an unexpectedly fantastic place off the beaten path, usually an unspoiled wilderness of great beauty.
The text inspired many later poems, some music compositions and a modern Taiwanese play-turned-movie, Secret Love for the Peach Blossom Spring. In some of the poems, the inhabitants of the villages were immortals.[3]
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