中國理想世界觀主要承繼老莊對於隱退的企盼，在這光譜中他們所折射出的光采並非一致。有些作品內在精神是隱遁出世，有些則隱含對人世積極關懷，〈桃花源詩并記〉正是這樣的例子。雖然採取仙鄉小說架構作為敘述主幹，但武陵人所到之地並非宗教仙鄉宮闕，而是人世桃花源。陶淵明意指桃花源不是仙界，不是來世；是忘卻心機，能偶入的人世，是現世。這是陶淵明對於現實人生的肯定，展現重視現世人情探問與溫情關懷。唐人小說有不少以「桃花源」為本的新作小說，在不同時代氛圍與士人詮釋下，呈現不同時代內涵與意義。與陶淵明桃花源世界不同，大抵有三，其一唐代的桃花源主題小說有宗教化色彩濃厚的傾向。此質變與唐人對於道教成道長生的追求與信仰，息息相關。其二，唐代的桃花源主題小說開始出現英雄、智者、與代表王權的人間領袖。世俗權勢的官方力量，介入並掌控秩序與方向。桃花源理想世界原先亟欲擺脫的是世俗政治霸權，在中唐小說中，英雄領袖反而成為理想世界的最高地位者。這是相當特殊的轉變。唐人對理想世界的認知，至此有了認知上的變異。其三，唐人的桃花源世界對於外人有明顯排外性與虛妄性，不再相信桃花源世界的實際真實，不再相信人有機會生活其中。這是唐人小說桃花源主題內容與精神風貌的特色。

Chinese idealism of the universe can partly be traced back to the reclusion concept in Lao Tzu and Chuang Tzu, which emphasizes the seeking of peace in the world of ideal beauty and is in contrast to the ways of actively participating in the real world. “Peach Blossom Spring” can be seen as the representative of this trend of searching. Although the background of the “Peach Blossom Spring” is on a fairy-tale setting, the place where the fisherman unexpectedly visited is not a wonderland and a future world but a world of the present. What Tao yuan-ming intends to convey in this work is the positive attitude toward the real world, emphasizing on the care and love therein. In Tang Dynasty, there are many fictional works based on the “Peach Blossom Spring” story, but their contents and techniques undergo great changes. There are three different types of stories based on this theme. First group of stories emphasizes the fairy tales setting, which is probably related to the eternity- seeking in Taoism. Second, the presence of the heroes, the wise and the warlords in Tang times signals the unbearable mundane reality and this turns out to be the inner drive for the authors to seek escapism in a nowhere world. The essence of idealism undergoes great changes. Third, unlike the “Peach Blossom Spring” residents, the Tang ideal world rejects outsiders and becomes more illusionary. The meaning and structure of the “Peach Blossom Spring” receive quite different and diversified treatments, changing from loving and caring for human being and society into religious reclusion.