Describes a man's nostalgic recollection of a beautiful woman he met once, often in a picturesque setting with peach blossoms, after they have parted ways, evoking a sense of lost beauty and a cherished memory.
Era:
Ancient
Frequency:
Synonym:
Story:
During the Tang Dynasty, a scholar traveled to the capital for imperial examinations. One day, while strolling in the southern suburbs of the city, he saw a charming cottage and found an excuse to enter. There, he met a beautiful maiden and was instantly smitten.
The following Qingming Festival, he returned to the same house, only to find the gate locked and the house empty. The maiden seemed to have moved away. Filled with melancholy, he inscribed a poem on the gate: 'Last year today, within this door, a human face and peach blossoms glowed. Where has that lovely face now gone? The peach blossoms still smile in the spring breeze.' He then left.
A few days later, still unable to forget, he revisited the spot. This time, the gate was not locked, and he met the maiden's father, who tearfully told him, 'My daughter read your poem and fell ill with lovesickness. Tragically, she passed away because of it.'
Deeply saddened, the scholar embraced the maiden's body and wept bitterly. To his surprise, the maiden suddenly awakened. It turned out she had only fainted. Soon after, the maiden's health fully recovered, and she and the scholar were united in marriage.