陈端生

Chen Duansheng is an author in the history of classical Chinese literature known for her long tanci (plucked-string narrative) works; reliable public information about her is limited, and her birth and death dates, native place, and life story are difficult to verify. Judging from the nine works held in the collection, her writing centers on Zaisheng Yuan (The Reincarnation) and its derived texts, along with several works in the Longfeng Zaisheng Yuan series, which shows that her creation and circulation are mainly attached to this story system. Such works alternate seven-character verse with prose narration, with dense storytelling and many characters, combining boudoir sensibilities with legendary color, and form a distinctive strain in classical narrative literature. Zaisheng Yuan has long been regarded as one of the representative works of tanci, and later generations have repeatedly compiled, adapted, and anthologized it; the editions in the collection, such as the "Must-Read Classics" and "Classic Ancient Legends" versions, reflect its continuing influence in popular reading and literary appreciation.