Lament of the Long Gate

罗锟Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

3.1

Word count: 4.4K words
Chapters: 49

Summary

“Changmen Yuan” portrays the despair and sorrow of a noblewoman who stood above all others yet, upon losing favor, felt as though she stood at the edge of a bottomless abyss. Its plaintive melody expresses the grief and melancholy of Empress Chen Jiao after she fell from favor and was banished to Changmen Palace; the emotion is as mournful as weeping and pleading, vividly depicting Chen Ajiao's despair and desolation as if she stood at the brink of a bottomless abyss.

Editor's review

Centered on the historical episode of Chen Ajiao losing favor and being banished to Changmen Palace, “Changmen Yuan” portrays the despair and sorrow of a noblewoman who stood above all others yet plunged from the height of favor into a bottomless abyss. Written in the manner of a plaintive melody, the work conveys grief and melancholy with a voice as mournful as weeping and pleading, rendering the intertwining of power, emotion, and fate with considerable power. Its strength lies in the delicate portrayal of the psychology of a woman who has lost favor, combining the restraint of resentment without anger with the desolate isolation of the deep palace; it is well suited as extended reading on classical themes of emotion. Readers interested in Han court stories, classical poetic imagery, or writing on women's fate may read it closely in quiet hours and experience its progressively unfolding atmosphere of sorrow; they may also read it alongside allusions such as the “Changmen Fu” to understand how the same subject is expressed in different literary forms. In length and subject alike, it is better suited to quiet savoring than to fast-paced plot.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Han court history and the story of Chen Ajiao
Readers who prefer classical tragic themes and delicate psychological portrayal
Readers who need a short classical text for book club discussion
Readers who enjoy understanding the fate of ancient women through poetic imagery

Not a good fit for

Readers who prefer light, cheerful, or comedic endings
Readers expecting complex historical research and scholarly argumentation
Readers seeking fast-paced, strongly plotted narrative

Reading tips

First learn the basic story of Chen Ajiao and Changmen Palace, then enter the text; this makes it easier to appreciate the layers of sorrow.
Read the text aloud in sections to feel its weeping, pleading rhythm and emotional progression.
After reading, compare it with public-domain related works such as Sima Xiangru's “Changmen Fu” to compare different treatments of the same subject.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
【呀鹘行】杜甫
【狂歌行，赠四兄】杜甫
【逃难】杜甫
【寄高適】杜甫
【送灵州李判官】杜甫
【与严二郎奉礼别】杜甫
【巴西驿亭观江涨，呈窦使君二首】杜甫
【遣忧】杜甫
【早花】杜甫
【巴山】杜甫
【收京】杜甫
【巴西闻收宫阙，送班司马入京】杜甫
【花底】杜甫
【柳边】杜甫
【送窦九归成都】杜甫
【赠裴南部，闻袁判官自来欲有按问】杜甫
【奉使崔都水翁下峡】杜甫
【题郪县郭三十二明府茅屋壁】杜甫
【遣闷戏呈路十九曹长】杜甫
【随章留后新亭会送诸君】杜甫
【东津送韦讽摄阆州录事】杜甫
【客旧馆】杜甫
【阆州奉送二十四舅使自京赴任青城】杜甫
【愁坐】杜甫
【陪郑公秋晚北池临眺】杜甫
【去蜀】杜甫
【放船】杜甫
【哭台州郑司户苏少监】杜甫
【送王侍御往东川，放生池祖席】杜甫
【惠义寺送王少尹赴成都（得峰字）】杜甫
【避地】杜甫
【惠义寺园送辛员外】杜甫
【又送】杜甫
【九日登梓州城】杜甫
【阙题】杜甫
【句】杜甫
卷二百三十五
【自蜀奉册命往朔方途中呈韦左相文部房尚书门下崔侍郎】贾至
【赠裴九侍御昌江草堂弹琴】贾至
【巴陵早秋，寄荆州崔司马、吏部阎功曹舍人】贾至
【闲居秋怀，寄阳翟陆赞府、封丘高少府】贾至
【送友人使河源】贾至
【送李侍御】贾至
【送耿副使归长沙】贾至
【送夏侯子之江夏】贾至
【寓言二首】贾至
【燕歌行】贾至
【巴陵寄李二户部、张十四礼部（时贬岳州司马）】贾至

FAQ

Can I understand “Changmen Yuan” without a background in Han history?

Yes. The work centers on the emotions and situation of a woman who has lost favor and does not depend on complex historical knowledge. Knowing in advance that Chen Ajiao was banished to Changmen Palace is enough for smooth reading; the rest can be appreciated as you go.

Is this book suitable for reading in one sitting?

It is better suited to careful reading in several sessions. The work's emotion is concentrated and bleak, and continuous reading can be tiring; reading it in two or three sessions, pausing briefly after each, allows for a fuller appreciation of its layered melancholy and despair.

Is “Changmen Yuan” better for literary reading or historical reading?

It leans toward literary reading. It uses a historical episode as background, focusing on emotional expression and psychological portrayal rather than factual verification. For historical reading, reliable historical sources should be consulted alongside it.

Comments

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About the author

罗锟 Author

Luo Kun is an author for whom public information is currently limited; the library holds two of his works, with The Lament of Changmen as his representative title. Judging from the existing categories, his writing touches on folk literature and classical poetry, and the title itself carries the flavor of a traditional palace lament, suggesting an interest in classical verse and folk narrative. The Lament of Changmen is an old yuefu theme, imitated by many poets across the dynasties and usually expressing the sorrow of a neglected palace lady; Luo Kun's use of it indicates that his work may lean toward the arrangement or imitation of classical poetry and the presentation of related folk literature. Because his dates, nationality, and life story are not clearly recorded, it is difficult at present to trace his full creative development or to assess his place in literary history. On the evidence of the two works in the library, Luo Kun writes on traditional subjects in a classical idiom and manner, and may interest readers of ancient poetry and folk literature. Further material would allow a fuller account of his life and work.