Hou Fangyu

Hou Fangyu was a Chinese scholar, essayist and political figure of the late Ming and early Qing period. Associated with the Fushe and other literati circles that criticised corrupt court politics, he became known both for his prose writing and for his relationship with the celebrated courtesan Li Xiangjun, later immortalised in Kong Shangren’s drama The Peach Blossom Fan.

A member of the late Ming literary elite, he was associated with reformist political circles and with Li Xiangjun. His prose reputation survived the dynasty’s fall, while their relationship became the historical basis for The Peach Blossom Fan.

In Alice Poon’s Tales of Ming Courtesans, Liu’s marriage to Qian Qianyi tests ideals of loyalty after the change of dynasty; Yuanyuan becomes linked to Wu Sangui and the decision that opens Shanhai Pass; and Xiangjun’s devotion to Hou Fangyu draws her into Nanjing’s factional politics.