During the Taiyuan era of the Eastern Jin, there was a man from Wuling who made his living by fishing.
He sailed his small boat along a stream and, before he knew it, lost his way. Just then, he suddenly saw a grove of peach trees stretching for hundreds of paces along both banks. There were no other trees among them; the fragrant grass was fresh and lovely, and fallen blossoms scattered everywhere. The fisherman found it strange, so he continued onward, wanting to see where the grove ended.
Where the grove ended, at the stream's source, he found a mountain. There was a small opening in it, seeming to hold a faint light. The fisherman abandoned his boat and entered through it. At first, it was extremely narrow, barely wide enough for one person to pass. After walking several dozen more steps, the view suddenly opened up. The land was level and spacious, the houses neat and orderly. There were fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees, and bamboo. Paths crisscrossed one another, and the sounds of chickens and dogs could be heard. Men and women came and went, farming in clothes exactly like those worn by people outside. The old and the young alike were content and happy.
When the villagers saw the fisherman, they were greatly startled and asked where he had come from. The fisherman answered them in full. The villagers then invited him into their homes, laid out wine, slaughtered chickens, and prepared food.
Mencius once said that there was a man in Qi State who had a wife and a concubine at home. Whenever the husband went out, he would always return home stuffed with food and drunk on wine. His wife asked him who he had been eating and drinking with, and according to