There was once a fisherman of Wu Ling 武陵 district who lost his way. He followed the course of a stream until, by chance, he came upon a grove of peach trees. It was a beautiful scene, and fallen peach petals even covered the ground. He thought it strange, continued forward, and found a small opening in the mountain in front of him.
He entered, and although it was narrow at the start, after a few steps it opened up wide. He saw good fields for farming, a beautiful pool, healthy crops, tranquil houses—everything was in good order. Men and women came and went through the land, going about their work. All were peaceful and comfortable. When they saw him however, they were startled and asked where he came from, and then invited him to their homes. When he questioned them in return, they said their ancestors had lived in the state of Qin, and wanting to avoid the chaos, they had led all their loved ones to this isolated place and never left. They had therefore become cut off from the outside world.
The fisherman stayed for several days, and when he came to leave, the villagers told him strictly to tell no one else of the isolated place. He then left and made a trail as he returned home. On his arrival, he went straight to the governor of the county, who sent parties to follow the trail and find this place again. Each one who went became lost and could not find it. Some devoted themselves to finding the way, but eventually died without success. After a long time, it was never mentioned again.
This story has been paraphrased from the renowned 陶渊明 Tao Yuanming's prose piece 'Notes on the Peach Blossom Spring' 《桃花源记》tao hua yuan ji, written in a time of political disunity in the Eastern Jin dynasty (317 – 420). Although it has been slightly reduced, the original stands at not much longer, yet in powerfully few words, the author managed to achieve a profound concept which resonates with almost every person's inner dreams.
The Beautiful Peach Land described is a fantasy, but written using a realistic and straightforward tone, leaving great impact. This form of utopia is an interesting one too—there is no God, no divine being, or magic powers etc. It is just a group of people who work together. It has been achieved purely through their own labor and harmony. There iss no coveted treasure or sparkling fairy world—it is just farmland. It is a fantasy, but one of the least fantastic we could perhaps think of. And yet one of the most striking . Somewhere, that is what we would all settle for.
Unsurprisingly, the text has had far reaching influence in many strands of culture. Particularly beautiful earthly locations claim to offer sights as lovely as those described in the text. Artists have tried to capture such beauty in their work. The phrase 世外桃源 shi wai tao yuan meaning 'The Peach Spring beyond this world' has become a popular expression meaning 'an unexpectedly wonderful place, off the beaten track'. It is seen as the predecessor to Tang poems describing similar imaginary peach lands of joy, and also to many other famous utopian creations. In particular, the name Shangri-La has become internationally associated with paradise and luxury after its depiction in a 1933 British novel, and with a little help from a few plushy modern hotels. However the Shangri-La location is thought to be associated with the concept of the Peach Land fantasy. Funnily enough, there is also an online animated game which has taken the text's name and inspiration to create a haven where people can play to their heart's content.
The fisherman found the Peach Land by chance, when he had lost his way and had forgotten all his other states of mind. Yet, as soon as he wanted to look for it, he was unable find it again, even after he looked for years and years. This is Tao Yuanming's ultimate stroke of brilliance—the fantasy is achievable and does not require any sort of superpower, but you have to do more than just look for it.
The Peach Blossom Spring is filled with beautiful flowers. For more flowers in literature, see Flowery Phrases: The Poetic Meaning of Plants.
Article by Serena Chang
