Zhenniang was originally the daughter of a Hu family, orphaned and left alone in the world. She was deceived into a life of vice but became a renowned beauty in the Wu region due to her exquisite looks and talent in singing and dancing. Despite her fame, she maintained a noble character and remained pure, determined to resist humiliation. In her struggle against her oppressive madam, she chose to end her life by hanging herself and was buried at Tiger Hill, with her tomb located to the west of Sword Pond at the Tiger Hill Temple. Bai Juyi, during his tenure as the prefect of Suzhou in the first year of Baoli of Jingzong, visited Tiger Hill twelve times in his over a year-long term. He reopened the Tiger Hill Temple road and planted over two thousand peach, plum, and lotus plants. It was during this period, while paying his respects at Zhenniang’s tomb, that he wrote this poem with a deep sense of regret. The tomb is open all year round, accessible 24 hours a day, with specific operating conditions subject to the day’s opening status.
Ancient Tomb of Zhenniang
Zhenniang was originally the daughter of a Hu family, orphaned and left alone in the world. She was [...]
