Gao Ming facts for kids

Gao Ming (born around 1305, died 1370) was a famous Chinese writer. He was a poet and wrote plays during the Yuan Dynasty. People also knew him as Kao Ming or Gao Zecheng. He even had a nickname, the "Cabbage Root Taoist."

Early Life and Career

Gao Ming was born and grew up in a city called Wenzhou in China. When he was older, around 1345, he needed to find a way to support his mother. To do this, he took and passed the Imperial Examinations. These were very tough tests that people had to pass to get a job in the government.

After passing the exams, Gao Ming got a job in Zhejiang province. He worked as a small official in a district called Chouzhou. In this job, he worked with another writer named Su Tianjue. Gao Ming helped Su Tianjue edit some of his writings.

Dealing with Challenges

From 1348 to 1351, Gao Ming was involved in a big event. He helped to stop a group of rebels called the Red Turban Rebellion. He took part in military actions against an early rebel leader named Fang Guozhen. After Fang Guozhen was defeated, Gao Ming received a new job. He became an assessor in Shaoxing. An assessor is someone who helps decide taxes or other official matters. Later, Fang Guozhen tried to hire Gao Ming as a teacher. But Gao Ming politely said no to the offer.

Life as a Writer

Gao Ming was not very happy working for the government. So, in 1356, he decided to retire from his job. He moved to Ningbo city to focus on writing for the theatre. He especially liked writing plays in a style called nanxi. This was a popular type of Chinese opera.

His friend Liu Ji tried to get him back into government work. Liu Ji asked the Hongwu Emperor to have Gao Ming help write the official history of the Yuan Dynasty. But Gao Ming said no again. He explained that he was not feeling well mentally.

Tale of the Pipa

Gao Ming's most famous work is a play called Tale of the Pipa. It is also known as Pipa ji or The Story of the Lute. This play is the only one of his works that we still have today.

A full English translation of Tale of the Pipa was published in 1980.

Broadway Adaptation

In 1946, a version of Tale of the Pipa was made into a musical. It was called Lute Song. This musical was shown on Broadway in New York City. Famous actors like Yul Brynner and Mary Martin starred in it.