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Guan Hanqing

Type Figure Region Asia Time c. 1250–1320 Also known as Guan Hanqing、Yizhai Sou、Yizhai

Guan Hanqing (c. 1250–c. 1320), the foremost Yuan-dynasty dramatist, revered as the 'Sage of Qu' and one of the Four Great Masters of Yuan Qu, wrote …

Timeline

  1. c. 1270–1310Dadu · Beijing MunicipalityActive in Dadu, he may have served as an official in the Imperial Academy of Medicine before leaving officialdom to devote himself to zaju. He joined the Yujing Shuhui and was closely associated with theatrical performers such as Zhu Lianxiu, composing a large body of zaju that laid the foundation for the golden age of Yuan zaju.
  2. 1311–1320Dadu · Beijing MunicipalityDuring this period he wrote masterpieces such as 'The Injustice to Dou E', 'Saving the Courtesan', 'Wangjiang Pavilion', and 'The Single-Bladed Meeting', renowned for sharp social criticism and vivid characterization. He described himself as 'a copper pea that cannot be steamed soft, boiled tender, pounded flat, stir-fried to bursting, a resounding copper pea,' showing his unyielding artistic personality.
  3. c. 1320Dadu · Beijing MunicipalityHe died around the Zhida era of the Yuan, at about seventy years of age. His works circulated widely after his death; later generations revered him as the Sage of Qu, and his zaju became a model of Chinese classical drama.

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