Buzz
While William Shakespeare rose to prominence in 16th-century England, Tang Xianzu was making waves in China. Often referred to as the 'Shakespeare of the East,' Tang, who passed away in 1616, wrote famous operas such as The Peony Pavilion, The Legend of the Purple Hairpin, The Story of Handan, and The Dream of Nanke, collectively known as The Four Dreams of Yuming Tangi. His works, particularly The Peony Pavilion, a poignant romantic drama, continue to be performed globally. According to Archaeology, researchers have recently uncovered Tang’s tomb in Jiangxi Province, eastern China.
In late 2016, workers in Fuzhou stumbled upon 42 tombs beneath a demolished building. Most of the graves date back to the Ming Dynasty (1368 CE–1644 CE). As reported by Xinhua News Agency, experts believe one of the tombs belongs to Tang Xianzu and his third wife, Fu.
Archaeologists also discovered epitaphs that might have been penned by Tang himself, containing personal information about his life and family. These inscriptions helped guide researchers to identify the playwright’s specific tomb, according to the Global Times.
China's state-run news agency, Xinhua, shared photographs of the tomb on Twitter.
"The epitaphs offer valuable insights into the calligraphy, art, and literature of Tang’s era," remarked Xu Changqing, head of the Jiangxi Provincial Cultural Relics and Archeology Research Institute, as reported by Xinhua. Experts believe that these tombs may also provide new information about Tang's life, his family, and various aspects of Ming Dynasty culture.
Although Tang and Shakespeare never met—due to their separate geographies and lack of knowledge of each other’s existence—China has nonetheless drawn comparisons between the two. The country has used Shakespeare as a point of reference to elevate its own renowned playwright. Exhibitions explore the parallels between the two, Chinese opera companies create adaptations of Tang's and Shakespeare’s works, and Fuzhou even donated statues of Tang and Shakespeare to Stratford-upon-Avon, the Bard's hometown, showing the two writers side by side.
Despite Tang’s widespread acclaim, the location of his gravesite remained elusive for years. Writings from the 1800s confirmed that he was buried in Fuzhou, and a symbolic tomb was erected in the city’s People’s Park in the 1980s to honor him. Now that the actual tomb has been discovered, Fuzhou's local government plans to develop the site into a major tourist attraction for visitors and scholars.
