Wang Shifu

Wang Shifu, whose given name was Dexin, was a native of Dadu (present-day Beijing) in the Yuan dynasty, with ancestral roots in Dingxing, Hebei. He was a renowned playwright of zaju drama. He once served as an investigating censor in the Shaanxi branch of the government, but later resigned and withdrew from official life to devote himself to writing plays. His masterpiece, The Romance of the Western Chamber, is acclaimed as the finest work of its kind and represents the literary style of Yuan drama. Other surviving works include Li Chun Tang and Po Yao Ji. His plays often draw on love and everyday life, with elegant and refined language and a gift for portraying characters' inner thoughts. He had a profound influence on later drama and classical literature. Fifteen of his works are collected here, spanning categories such as classical literature, folk literature, and literary appreciation. Public information about the details of his life is limited, and his biography rests on scattered records that are difficult to verify.