Interweaving a star-crossed romance with the decline and fall of the Ming dynasty in mid seventeenth century, The Peach Blossom Fan by Kong Shangren (1648-1718) is a masterpiece of Chinese literature. This sweeping musical play and historical drama encompasses the pleasures and passions of courtesan culture, the allure and pitfalls of political idealism, court intrigues, and the horrors of war.