The Record of the Peach Blossom Spring (1)

Today let’s read a story titled “The Record of the Peach Blossom Spring,” written by Tao Yuanming, a great literary figure during the Eastern Jin Dynasty (317-420), who used the journey of a fisherman from Wuling to vividly depict the peace and joy of a fictional land called Peach Blossom Spring and the free and equal way of life.

During the Taiyuan reign of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there was a man in Wuling County who made a living by fishing. One day, as he rowed his boat along the stream, he suddenly came across a grove of peach blossoms growing on both banks of the stream.

Stretching for hundreds of paces, the grove had no miscellaneous trees, with beautiful flowers and grass, creating a colorful scene. The fisherman was very surprised by the sight and continued rowing his boat.

At the end of the peach grove was the source of the stream. A mountain suddenly appeared, with a small cave in it that seemed to be emitting light. Intrigued, the fisherman got off his boat and entered the cave. At first, the entrance was narrow, only allowing one person to pass through, but after walking a few dozen steps, it suddenly opened up brightly. Before him was a vast and flat piece of land with rows of neatly arranged houses.

Paths crisscrossed the fields; and the sounds of roosters crowing, and dogs barking could be heard everywhere as people tended the fields. The elderly and children were all content and happy, enjoying themselves.

When the villagers saw the fisherman, they were very surprised and asked him where he came from. The fisherman gave them a detailed answer, and they warmly invited him to their homes and treated him to food and drink.

When the other villagers heard that a person had arrived, they all came to inquire about him. They explained that their ancestors had come to this isolated place with their families and neighbors to escape the wars of the Qin Dynasty (221-207 B.C.), and had since cut off ties with the outside world.

They asked the fisherman which dynasty it was, and he replied, “You don’t know? The Qin Dynasty was hundreds of years ago. After that, there were the Han and Wei dynasties, and now it’s the Jin Dynasty.”

The fisherman told them everything he knew in detail. After listening, the villagers sighed with regret. The fisherman stayed for a few days before bidding farewell and leaving. The villagers told him, “Please do not mention our place to the outside world.”

After leaving, the fisherman found his boat and carefully marked his route back. When he arrived at the county seat, he immediately reported his strange encounter to the magistrate. The magistrate sent people to follow him and look for the marks he had made, but in the end, they lost their way and could no longer find the path to the Peach Blossom Spring.

(The author is a cultural scholar.)

(Translated by Shenzhen Daily)