{"product_id":"the-presence-of-peach-spring-by-mark-meulenbeld-9780674304833","title":"The Presence of Peach Spring","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Presence of Peach Spring\u003c\/em\u003e radically breaks with conventional interpretations of Tao Qian's \u003cem\u003eRecord of Peach Blossom Spring\u003c\/em\u003e by connecting the tale to its stated geographical location in northern Hunan province, People's Republic of China, focusing on the Daoist lore that surrounds it.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eDrawing on more than two decades of fieldwork, Mark Meulenbeld uncovers the presence of Peach Spring as a sacred site with a history of more than fifteen hundred years, locally embedded within a complex network of ritual referents. Rather than a primarily textual analysis, Meulenbeld offers a more historically grounded interpretation that engages with the religious manifestations of Peach Spring: on domestic altars, in sacrificial ballads, at Daoist institutions, and, ultimately, as a source of transcendence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\n\u003cp\u003eMeulenbeld shows that the category of the sacred offers a crucial framework for understanding traditional texts, even if they do not immediately seem to belong to any religious sphere. When read in the context of its native region, the tale of Peach Spring affords readers access to a sacred site, sacred objects, and the enduring traditions of Daoist ritual that continue to maintain its presence today.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Unknown","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48038562595052,"sku":"9780674304833","price":150.99,"currency_code":"NZD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0705\/7784\/8556\/files\/9780674304833-the-presence-of-peach-spring.jpg?v=1785393753","url":"https:\/\/bookhero.co.nz\/products\/the-presence-of-peach-spring-by-mark-meulenbeld-9780674304833","provider":"Book Hero","version":"1.0","type":"link"}