Staging in Ink: Multi-block Printing and the Editorial Shaping of Tang Xianzu and Zang Maoxun’s Legacy in Late Ming Huzhou

Abstract This article examines the reception and reinterpretation of Zang Maoxun’s (1550–1620) adaptations of Tang Xianzu’s (1550–1616) Four Dream plays within the context of late Ming print culture. Focusing on three red-and-black dual-color imprints produced by members of the Wuxing intellectual community – namely, Mao Ying’s 1620 edition of The Peony Pavilion , Min Guangyu’s 1621 edition of The Handan Dream , and a late Ming edition of The Dream Under the Southern Bough – the study highlights the application of the taoyin 套印 (multi-block printing) method and its convergence with evolving traditions of layered dramatic commentary. It argues that Wuxing publishers’ adoption of this innovative printing technology facilitated new modes of textual engagement, allowing editors, commentators, printers, and cultural elites to collectively negotiate Zang’s editorial legacy. Ultimately, the article demonstrates how the fusion of experimental editorial design and critical annotation served as a distinctive means of positioning Zang Maoxun’s adaptations as a critical edition in the textual history of Tang Xianzu’s plays.