Review and Prospect of the Study on HOU Fang-yu

HOU Fang-yu,a leading scholar-official,was a household name during late Ming and early Qing literary circle,but due to hisbetrayalbehavior,including his participation of triennial examination held by the Qing court and his suggestions to wipe out Yu Yuan Army,he has been a disputing figure for later generations.With the adaptation and stage performance of Peach Blossom Fan in the 1960s,he has since become the focus of moral criticism.Currently,researches about Hou Fangyu mainly fall into three categories: details of life,assortment of works and mentality change and poetic research around the Qing regime while little attention has been paid to his situation in the political life of the late Ming Dynasty,the relationship between HOU family and wars in the late Ming Dynasty,and his youmu life(working as an assistant to a ranking official or general in old China) under Nanming regime.Research perspective,content,framework and method of these aspects need further discussion.