Writer, Snow in Midsummer

Hanqing is the most highly regarded dramatist of China’s Yuan period and has been described as China’s Shakespeare for the lasting impact he’s had on Chinese culture. He lived in Yen-Ching, the site of today’s Bejing and either trained for a life in medicine or was a practicing court physician. A prolific writer, he began writing plays in 1260 and wrote more then 60, of which 18 have survived. His best-known play is Dou E Yuan, or The Injustice to Dou Yi that Moved Heaven and Earth, the original text for the play Snow in Midsummer. He was an original pioneer of a dramatic form called zazu, or variety theatre. Along with his literary career, Guan is said to have also worked as a theatrical manager and actor.