遊仙窟

by Zhuo Zhang

"遊仙窟" by Zhang Zhuo is a Chinese tale written between 681 and 684. The narrator, weary from travel through distant mountains, takes shelter in a mysterious grotto where he encounters two women—Cui Shi Niang and the widow Wu Sao. What follows is an evening of wine, poetry, flirtation, and playful banter. Written in a mixture of parallel prose styles with leisurely rhymes, this early Tang romance offers a glimpse into encounters between traveling scholars and courtesans, influencing generations of Chinese love stories.