天花藏主人

Tianhuazang Zhuren (literally "Master of the Flower-Hiding Studio") is the pseudonym of a prolific Chinese writer, editor, and publisher active during the late Ming and early Qing dynasties (mid-17th century). His true identity remains uncertain, though scholars have speculated he may have been a literatus or a commercial publisher. He is credited with authoring or editing numerous popular novels, most notably Yu Jiao Li (The Two Fair Cousins), a romantic comedy that became a model for later caizi-jiaren (scholar-beauty) fiction. His works, often serialized and illustrated, were widely read and helped shape the development of the Chinese novel as a commercial and literary genre. Tianhuazang Zhuren's influence extended beyond China; Yu Jiao Li was among the first Chinese novels translated into European languages in the 19th century, introducing Western readers to Chinese narrative conventions. His legacy lies in his pioneering role in popularizing vernacular fiction and establishing the scholar-beauty romance as a staple of Chinese literature.