As one of the greatest ancient prose in Chinese history, Peach-blossom Source was written by Tao Yuanming (365-427) in East Jin Dynasty. He is the forerunner of Chinese pastoral poem. 

In his masterpiece Peach-Blossom Source, the author made up an imaginary pantisocracy (an ideal society) where there is no sovereign, exploitation, hypocrisy or corruption, and people in peace and harmony. Tao is always compared with Henry David Thoreau, because both of them worship the nature. However, they hold a different value of life. Tao is a hermit, an evader of the reality...

                                                                                               桃花源记

                                                               陶渊明

晋太元中，武陵人捕鱼为业。缘溪行，忘路之远近。忽逢桃花林，夹岸数百步，中无杂树，芳草鲜美，落英缤纷。渔人甚异之。复前行，欲穷其林。林尽水源，便得一山，山有小口，仿佛若有光。便舍船从口入。初极狭，才通人；复行数十步豁然开朗。土地平旷，屋舍俨然，有良田、美池、桑竹之属。阡陌交通，鸡犬相闻。其中往来种作，男女衣著，悉如外人；黄发垂髫，并怡然自乐。见渔人，乃大惊，问所从来，具答之。便要还家，设酒杀鸡作食。村中闻此人，咸来问讯。自云先世避秦时乱，率妻子邑人，来此绝境，不复出焉，遂与外人间隔。问今是何世，乃不知有汉，无论魏晋。此人一一为具言所闻，皆叹惋。馀人各复延至其家，皆出酒食。停数日，辞去。此中人所云：“不足为外人道也。”

既出，得其船，便扶向路，处处志之。及郡下，诣太守说如此。太守即遣人随其往，寻向所志，遂迷不复得路。

南阳刘子骥，高尚士也。闻之，欣然前往。未果，寻病终。后遂无问津者。

Modern text

晋朝太元年间，有个以捕鱼为生的武陵人。架舟沿山间小溪前行，一时忘了路的远近。忽然遇到一处桃花林，夹岸而生，数百步之内没有一棵杂树，林下长着鲜嫩的芳草，上面铺满了美丽的落花。渔人见了非常惊奇，又往前行，想穿过这片桃林。林的尽头是溪水的源头，那里有一座小山，山间有一个小口，小口内好像有亮光。于是他就弃船上岸，步入洞口。起初洞很狭窄，只能通过一人；又向前走了数十步，里面豁然开朗。只见那里土地平整广阔，房屋村舍排列整齐，有肥沃的良田、美丽的池水和桑树竹林之类。田间小道纵横交错，鸡鸣狗叫彼此相闻。其中人们来来往往忙于耕种，男男女女的服装好像完全是世外之人似的；老人和幼童都安适快乐。他们见了渔人，都十分惊讶，纷纷询问他从哪来，渔人都一一作了回答。他们便邀请渔人到家里作客，端上酒杀了鸡来款待。村中听说有这样一个人来，都来向他打听消息。他们自称先辈为了躲避秦时的战乱，带着妻儿和乡亲，一齐来到这个与世隔绝的地方，从此不再外出，于是就是外面的人隔绝往来。问现在是什么朝代，他们竟然不知道有汉朝，就更不用说魏和晋了。渔人就向他们一一讲述自己的所见所闻，他们听了都感到惊叹惋惜。其他的人又各自把他请到家中，都拿出酒饭招待他。渔人在那里待了几天，告辞而去。这里的人对他说：“不要把这里的情况对外人说啊！”

渔人出了洞，找到了他的船，于是就沿着来路返回，所经过的地方处处作了标记。回到郡所，就去对太守说了这一经历。太守立即派人跟他一起前去，寻找以前留下的记号，然而却迷失了方向，没有找到那条路。

南阳的刘子骥，是个脱俗的读书人。他听了这件事，就高兴地准备前往，还没有成行，不久就得病去世了。以后便没有人再去探寻桃花源了。

English version

Peach-blossom Source

Tao Yuanming

During the Taiyuan period ( 376-396 ) of Jin a man of Wuling, who made his living as a fisherman, ascended a stream, forgetful of the distance he traveled. Suddenly he came upon a grove of peach trees in blossom. They lined the banks for several hundred paces; among them were no other kinds of trees. The fragrant herbage was fresh and beautiful; fallen blossoms lay in profusion. The fisherman, in extreme wonder, again went forward, wishing to go to the end of the grove. The grove ended at the stream’s source, and there he found a hill. In the hill was a small opening from which a light seemed to come. So he left his boat and went in through the opening. At first it was very narrow, barely allowing a man to pass, but as he went on for some tens of paces, it came out into the open air, upon lands level and wide with houses of a stately appearance. There were fine fields and beautiful pools, clumps of mulberries and bamboos. The field dykes intersected; cocks crowd and dogs barked to each other. The clothes of the men and women who came and went, planted and worked among them were entirely like those of people outside. The while-haired and the children with their hair in tufts happily enjoyed themselves.

When they saw the fisherman, they were greatly surprised and asked from what place he came. When he had answered all their questions, they invited him to come back to their home, where they set out wine, killed a chicken and made a meal. When the villagers heard of this man, they all came to pay their respects. They told him that their ancestors, fleeing from the troubles during the Qin period (221 BC-208 BC ), had brought their wives and children and neighbours to this inaccessible spot and had not gone out again, thus they became cut off from people outside. They asked what dynasty it was now: they did not know that there had been Han ( 206 BC- AD 220 ), nor of course Wei ( 220-265 ) or Jin. The fisherman told them all he knew, item by item, and at everything they sighed with grief. The others in turn also invited him to their homes, and all set out wine and food. He stayed for several days andd then took leave of them. The people of this place said to him: “You should not speak of this to those outside.”

When he had gone out, he found his boat and followed the route by which he had come: everywhere he noted the way. When he reached the commandery, he called on the prefect and told him this story. The prefect immediately sent a man to go with him and seek out the places he had previously noted, but they went astray and could not find the way again.

Liu Ziji of Nanyang, who was a scholar of lofty ideals, heard of it and joyfully planned to go. Soon after, before he had carried out his plan, he fell ill and died. Afterwards there was no one who “sought the ford”.