This is an extremely famous story that all Chinese people will have in their collective unconscious, much like western nursery rhymes or fairy tales in the UK and other English speaking nations. It tells the story of a fisherman who stumbles upon shangri-la by accident, and after leaving, because he tells people of its existence, neither he nor anyone else can find their way back there again. Please note, my translation sometimes adds to or omits parts of the Classical Chinese to produce more flowing English and to capture a greater sense of the original meaning, so should not be taken as exact.
晉太元中，武陵人，捕魚為業。緣溪行，忘路之遠近。忽逢桃花林，夾岸數百步，中無雜樹，芳草鮮美，落英繽紛。漁人甚異之，復前行，欲窮其林。
In the Taiyuan year of the Eastern Jin dynasty, there was a man from Wuling who caught fish for a living. One day, he was following the river creek when he forgot how far along the river he had come. He suddenly came across a wood of peach blossom trees, lining either side of the bank for several hundred metres. There were no other types of trees among peach trees. The grass was fresh and delicate, and the fallen peach blossoms lay thick and colourful upon the ground. The fisherman was greatly astonished by this place and pressed on, wanting to reach the end of the grove.
林盡水源，便得一山，山有小口，仿佛若有光。便舍船，從口入。初極狹，纏通人。復行數十步，豁然開朗。土地平曠，屋舍儼然，有良田﹑美池，桑﹑竹之屬。
The grove came to an end at the source of the river, where he also discovered a mountain. In the mountain was a small opening, and there seemed to be a light inside it. Thereupon he left his boat and went into the opening. At first the tunnel was extremely narrow, with only just enough room for a man to pass through. He continued on for a few dozen steps, when suddenly the tunnel opened up, revealing a bright and clear view. The land was flat and vast, the houses were all neatly laid out. There were fertile fields, beautiful ponds, mulberry trees and bamboo.
阡陌交通，雞犬相聞。其中往來種作，男女衣著，悉如外人。黃發垂髫，並怡然自樂。見漁人，乃大驚，問所從來。具答之。便要還家，設酒、殺雞、作食。
Paths crisscrossed over fields. The crows and barks of the chickens and dogs mingled with each other. In this place, people were coming and going, busy with planting and growing crops. The clothing of the men and women were exactly like those of the people living in the outside world. Their yellow hair [unsure if this means they are blonde, or the have some kind of decoration in their hair] dangled in locks, they were all carefree and merry together. When they saw the fisherman, they were greatly startled and asked him where he had come from. He answered all of their questions [OR: "He answered their questions in detail" the 具 makes this ambiguous and could have a sense of both meanings]. Thereupon he was invited to their houses, where they prepared wines, killed a chicken and made food.
村中聞有此人，咸來問訊。自雲：“先世避秦時亂，率妻子、邑人來此絕境，不復出焉，遂與外人間隔。”問今是何世，乃不知有漢，無論魏晉。此人一一為具言所聞，皆嘆惋。
When the people of the village heard about the fisherman [此人 lit. this person], they all came to make enquiries. The villagers said, “Our ancestors fled to avoid the chaos of the Qin period, leading their wives, children and neighbours to this isolated place, and they never left it. And so we were cut off from the outside world.” They asked him what age is was now, they didn’t even know of the Han dynasty, let alone the Wei or Jin dynasties. The fisherman told them one by one in detail of what he knew, all of the villagers sighed with regret.
余人各復延至其家，皆出酒食。停數日，辭去。此中人語雲：“不足為外人道也。”
Each of the remaining people also invited the fisherman to their homes, and everyone brought out wine and food. After the fisherman had stayed for number of days, he bade farewell and departed. The people of the village said, “We’re not worth mentioning to the outside world.” [OR “It’s best if outsiders don’t know about us.” Today the phrase "不足為外人道也" means "this is best kept between us."]
既出，得其船，便扶向路，處處志之。及郡下，詣太守，說如此。太守即遣人隨其往，尋向所志，遂迷，不復得路。
As soon as he left their land, he found his boat and followed the same route back home, leaving markers all along the way. Once he reached his home prefecture, he visited the Governor [OR: Grand Administrator] and related the whole story to him. The Governor immediately dispatched people to follow the fisherman’s route and to search for the markers he had left. But they became lost, and could not find the road again.
南陽劉子驥，高尚士也，聞之，欣然規往。未果，尋病終。后遂無問津者。
In Nanyang there was a noble gentleman called Liu Ziji, who upon hearing about the Peach Blossom Spring, happily made plans to go there. However, he did not succeed, as he soon fell ill and died. Henceforth there has been no one wanting to pursue the matter further (問津 make enquiries).
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