, was a native of Qiantang County, Zhejiang (today's Hangzhou) during the early Qing dynasty. He is known as a playwright for his script "The Palace of Eternal Life" (
. They are collectively known as "
" (Southern Hong, Northern Kong).
Biography
Hong Sheng's father was a minor official in the south, and his maternal grandfather Huang Ji served as the Minister of Personnel and Grand Secretary of the Wenhua Pavilion. Hong Sheng was born on the first day of the seventh month in the second year of the Qing Shunzhi era (August 21, 1745). He received a good education from an early age, studying under teachers such as Lu Fanqiao, Shen Qian, Mao Xianshu, and Wang Yuyang. He was well-versed in the Four Books and Five Classics.
In the seventh year of the Kangxi era (1668), Hong Sheng entered the Imperial Academy in Beijing. His imperial examinations were unsuccessful for a long time, but he frequently interacted with literati in Beijing and was skilled in poetry and scattered verse. "At gatherings and banquets, he often sat with his legs spread wide, criticizing ancient and modern times, earning the admiration of all." Xu Jiayan described him in A Long Song to Send Hong Fangsi Southward as "often claiming a passion for antiquity, unafraid to appear mad when meeting people." You Tong praised him: "After returning, Hong roamed freely by West Lake. Enthusiasts from Wu and Yue heard of him and admired him, gathering together to watch performances. Hong's mad state reappeared; he took off his clothes, sat with his legs spread wide, and drank as usual."
In the twenty-seventh year of the Kangxi era (1688), The Palace of Eternal Life was finalized, having undergone "three revisions before completion."
In the twenty-eighth year of the Kangxi era (1709), he became embroiled in a political dispute between northern and southern factions. He was reported by the Censor Huang Liuhong for watching performances of The Palace of Eternal Life during the mourning period for the Empress Dowager Tongjia, which was considered a serious act of disrespect. Hong Sheng was imprisoned by the Ministry of Justice. The emperor, however, did not wish to harm him and only revoked his status as a student at the Imperial Academy, sending him back to his hometown.
In his later years, with no hope for an official career or success in the imperial examinations, he became depressed and bored. In 1691, he returned to Qiantang and often traveled around West Lake.
In the forty-third year of the Kangxi era (July 1, 1704), Hong Sheng accepted an invitation from Jiangning's textile commissioner Cao Yin to visit Jinling. He enjoyed a three-day, three-night performance of the complete version of The Palace of EternalLife. That year, on the first day of June, he fell into the water and drowned after drinking at a banquet in Wuxing, Zhejiang.
Works
Hong Sheng wrote nine dramatic works. Besides The Palace of Eternal Life, his other works include Huiwen Jin, Huilong Ji, Jinxiu Tu, Noisegao Tang, Jeixiao Fang, Tianyal Lei, , and Zhanghong Qiao. Only The Palace of Eternal Life and the play Sichanjuan survive today. He also wrote Baiqi Ji, Baiqixuji, and .
Tumuhete cited a poem by Cao Yin, "Gift to Hong Fangsi," suggesting that Hong Sheng had originally created Dream of the Red Chamber, but the manuscript eventually ended up in the hands of the Cao family.
References
• 洪昇 (Chinese)
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Hong Sheng (August 21, 1645 - 1704), courtesy name Fangsi, pseudonym Baiqi or Baicun, and alternative pseudonym Nanping Qiaoze, was a native of Qiantang County, Zhejiang (today's Hangzhou) during the early Qing dynasty. He is known as a playwright for his script "The Palace of Eternal Life" (Changsheng Dian), and he is often mentioned alongside Kong Shangren, the author of "The Peach Blossom Fan". They are collectively known as "Nan Hong Bei Kong" (Southern Hong, Northern Kong).