The Presence of Peach Spring (Hardcover)

Mark R.E. Meulenbeld

ISBN 10: 0674304837 / ISBN 13: 9780674304833

Published by Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass, 2026

About this Item

Hardcover. The Presence of Peach Spring radically breaks with conventional interpretations of Tao Qian's "Record of Peach Blossom Spring" by connecting the tale to its stated geographical location in northern Hunan province (PRC) and focusing on the Daoist lore that surrounds it. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, Mark Meulenbeld uncovers the presence of Peach Spring as a sacred site with a history of more than fifteen hundred years, locally embedded within a complex network of ritual referents. Rather than a primarily textual analysis, Meulenbeld offers a more historically grounded interpretation that engages with the religious manifestations of Peach Spring: on domestic altars, in sacrificial ballads, at Daoist institutions, and, ultimately, as a source of transcendence. Meulenbeld shows that the category of the sacred offers a crucial framework for understanding traditional texts, even if they do not immediately seem to belong to any religious sphere. When read in the context of its native region, the tale of Peach Spring affords readers access to a sacred site, sacred objects, and the enduring traditions of Daoist ritual that continue to maintain its presence today. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, Mark Meulenbelds The Presence of Peach Spring reassesses Tao Qians classic Daoist story Record of Peach Blossom Spring through the category of the sacred and connects it to its geographic context and ritual referents in northern Hunan. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.

Seller Inventory # 9780674304833

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Presence of Peach Spring (Hardcover)
• Publisher: Harvard University Press, Cambridge, Mass
• Publication Date: 2026
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0674304837
• ISBN 13: 9780674304833
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: new

About this title

Synopsis

The Presence of Peach Spring radically breaks with conventional interpretations of medieval luminary Tao Qian’s famous “Record of Peach Blossom Spring” by connecting the tale to its stated geographical location in northern Hunan Province (PRC) and focusing on the Daoist lore that surrounds it. Drawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, Mark R. E. Meulenbeld uncovers the presence of Peach Spring as a site with a history of more than fifteen hundred years, locally embedded within a complex network of ritual referents that define the landscape as inherently sacred. Rather than a primarily textual analysis, Meulenbeld offers a more historically grounded and environmentally situated interpretation that engages with the religious manifestations of Peach Spring: on domestic altars, through spirit-mediums, at Daoist institutions, and, ultimately, as a source of transcendence. Meulenbeld shows that the category of the sacred offers a crucial framework for understanding traditional texts, even if they do not immediately seem to belong to any religious sphere. When read in the context of its native region, the tale of Peach Spring affords readers access to a sacred site, sacred objects, and the enduring traditions of Daoist ritual that continue to maintain its presence within a sacred ecology.

About the Author

Mark R. E. Meulenbeld is Associate Professor in the School of Chinese at The University of Hong Kong.