Circa 1213 - Circa 1297
Playwright

Career. Known as Yizhaisou (The Old Man Who Studies the Past), Guan Hanqing was one of the earliest playwrights of the Yuan era (1279-1368). A native of Yanjing (now Beijing), he was probably born into a noble family. After he failed to secure an official position as an imperial doctor, he turned his energy to writing and acting, living among the theater people of the urban outdoor entertainment area known as the spontaneous market. His only trip away from Beijing was a visit to Linan (Hangzhou) in the South.

Writings. Guan wrote approximately sixty-seven plays, of which eighteen have survived, including Snow in Midsummer (also known as The Wronging of Dou E), Rescued by a Coquette, The Jade Mirror-Stand, The Wife Snatcher, and Go with a Single Sword to the Feast. Snow in Midsummer is a classic Chinese tragedy about a virtuous...