author
Zhen Yuan
779–831
A major poet and statesman of the middle Tang dynasty, Yuan Zhen helped shape the New Yuefu movement with clear, socially aware verse. He is also remembered for “Yingying’s Biography,” a celebrated story that inspired later Chinese drama.
1 Audiobook
鶯鶯傳
by Zhen Yuan
About the author
Yuan Zhen (779–831), also known as Yuan Chen or Yüan Chen, was a Chinese poet, writer, and politician of the Tang dynasty. Born in Luoyang, he rose through the imperial bureaucracy and held several senior government posts, including military governorship and high office at court.
In literature, Yuan Zhen was one of the leading figures of the New Yuefu movement, which favored accessible language, flexible forms, and poetry that could comment on social problems. He was closely associated with the poet Bai Juyi, and their poetic exchanges became an important part of Tang literary history.
Yuan Zhen’s best-known prose work is “Yingying’s Biography,” a romantic tale that later influenced the Yuan-dynasty drama The West Chamber. His surviving writings include poetry, essays, official documents, and a substantial collection of literary works.