Tang Poetry Fairy Writing Research

The Tang Dynasty is the golden time of Taoism and poetry. Taoism thought has greatimpact on Tang intellectual men and their art of writing poetry. Thus, Fairy thought’sappearance in Tang Dynasty poetry becomes one basic topic. This paper focus on the fairydescription in Tang poetry in three aspects.First, the fairy description in the poetry in Tang examination system. Tang Dynastyinherited the imperial examination institution system from Sui Dynasty, inspiring Tangpeople to enter the bureaucracy by passing the examination. Among these poetry showingthe examination, Tang people drew an analogy between the examination and becomingimmortals, that is to say, they can enjoy the feeling of becoming a celestial being throughachieving worldly wishes. This demonstrated the secular characters of Taoism at that time.Meanwhile, this could find proof in the fact that Tang poets’ inner world and values areinfluenced by the imperial examination and the fairy thought of Taoism.Second, the fairy description in Tang poetry of garden. Tang is the key age for thedevelopment of ancient garden culture, in particular that the development and prosperity ofthe private gardens of literary men brought great impact on their life style and thinking.Gardens were not only the place for literary men’s daily life, but also were the heaven intheir literary dream. Tang people compared the garden to Penglai fairyland, meaning thatthey can become immortals on the spot instead of going that far to Pengali. The fairydescription in Tang poetry of garden is a symbol of Tang people’s wish of being immortaland the secular and worldly features of Tang Taoism.Third, the fairy description in Tang poetry of temple. Tang Dynasty is an importanttime for the compromising and melting of Buddhism, Confucianism and Taoism. Such amelting of thoughts, on one hand, influenced Tang people’s thinking and life style. On theother hand, Tang people’s poetry writing was also a symbol. The fairy description in Tangpoetry of temple made the melting manifest. Tang people tended to transplant the languagesignals belonging to Taoism into the Buddhism with no relation. In Tang poems of temple, poets called the temple in which the monk took austerities as Penglai and heaven. Thematerials of Buddhism were modified by fairy words. Monks didn’t just bow at theBuddha’s feet, they could live freely and happily like the immortals in Taoism.