Chinese Civilization

Chinese Civilization China during the Tang dynasty was a period of beauty and regality among the Chinese citizenry. One of the art forms which took on new importance during the era was in writing. Literature both in the form of stories and poetry became artistic and beautiful. Those who could write best were elevated themselves to the pantheon of artists. This attitude about the importance of writing is visible in some of the stories of the ear.

In the tale "Yingying's Story," the main character of Zhang finds himself completely enamored of a young seventeen-year-old girl. The only way that he is able to woo her is through his writing and in turn she is unwilling to show him her own writings for fear of how he will perceive her. Zhang declares that he is physically unable to stand the three-month long wait it would take for a proper engagement and a marriage ceremony between the two to take place.

In order to woo his would-be concubine Yingying, Zhang sends her love poetry which she at first decries as lecherous and encouraging molestation rather than love. Her initial poem back is a trick which was designed to get him to her home so she could berate his language. However, the words of love finally breach her sense of purity and she comes to Zhang.

The two become lovers for a series of months and he continues to keep her interest through his writings, but she never shows him any of her own. The only time the reader sees Yingying's writing is when she sends a letter to Zhang thanking him for his gifts and telling him how she misses him and how she wants him with her. Zhang, rather than keep such private papers to himself, shows all his friends the letter of love which Yingying had sent him.

In turn, the friends composed various poems which were about the affair and about the beauty of this young girl. Yuan Zhen writes, "Zhang showed her letter to his friends, and as a result many people at the time heard of the affair" (201). Instead of keeping this letter private, he uses it as a piece of literature, as though it is something he himself has accomplished as a writer.

Despite the love that Yingying has for Zhang and despite how hard he had to work to win her affection and sexual favors, he decides to give it up. He says, "All such creatures ordained by Heaven to possess bewitching beauty will inevitably cast a curse on others if they don't do the same to themselves" (Zhen 203). This does not seem like a viable response to the former ardor that he had once felt for this young woman.

There is no communication by Zhang which shows why his affection changed or how. Instead, it comes across as a response to that beautiful letter of Yingying's. She wrote a message of beauty, honesty, and adoration which he himself could not adequately convey in his responses to her. The reader learns that Zhang traveled because he wanted to become a professional writer, but he was not successful in this. This letter makes Zhang realize that he will never be.