Global EditionASIA 中文雙語Fran?ais
Travel
Home / Travel

A legacy that spans centuries

By Chen Bowen | CHINA DAILY | Updated: 2025-06-03 07:55
Share
Share - WeChat
Dongpo Academy, a historic site in Danzhou, Hainan province, where the great poet Su Shi of Song Dynasty (960-1279) taught and exchanged ideas during his exile. [PHOTO BY ZHANG MAO/FOR CHINA DAILY]

Writer, statesman and gourmet remains a celebrated figure of inspiration, Chen Bowen reports in Danzhou, Hainan.

Nearly a millennium after his death, the legacy of Su Shi, China's beloved writer, statesman and gastronome, continues to thrive on the tropical island of Hainan province.

Exiled to the island in the summer of 1097 during the political turmoil of the Song Dynasty (960-1279), the then-60-year-old scholar spent his final years transforming adversity into cultural triumph. Today, his name adorns museums, culinary staples and blockbuster theater shows, cementing his status as Hainan's most enduring "celebrity".

When Su, also known as Su Dongpo, after his courtesy name, arrived in Dan'er, today's Danzhou city, Hainan was a remote frontier, far removed from the intellectual hubs of central China. Yet over three years, the polymath penned 170 poems and 160 essays, and completed his famed Commentary on the Book of Documents, Commentary on the Book of Changes and Explanations on the Analects of Confucius. He introduced agricultural techniques, promoted education, and prescribed herbal remedies, leaving an imprint so profound that locals still affectionately call him "one of our own".

"I am but a native of Dan'er, who happened to be born in Sichuan," Su once wrote, a line now etched into the collective memory of Hainan.

"The fact that Hainan, an island once considered remote, could nurture a cultural legacy that profoundly influenced the rest of China speaks volumes about its people's character," says Leng Chengjin, a professor at Renmin University of China.

"Had the residents of Danzhou not shown such exceptional warmth and moral integrity, Su's three-year exile here would never have yielded such enduring cultural contributions," Leng notes, emphasizing how local hospitality helped transform the scholar's hardship into a creative renaissance.

Following the ongoing fourth national census of cultural relics, Hainan has systematically cataloged its cultural heritage linked to Su Dongpo, identifying 13 cultural heritage sites related to the historical figure, according to province authorities.

Long before notions of equality became modern ideals, Su practiced them in the back roads of Hainan.

The statesman embraced the island's indigenous Li ethnic people with his philosophy that "Han and Li ethnics share one humanity", a radical view in ancient China. Eyewitness accounts describe local children giggling "Uncle Dongpo!" as he wandered mountain paths.

A key site from Su Shi's exile is recreated at the archaeological ruins of Guanglang Temple Memorial Hall. [PHOTO BY ZHANG MAO/FOR CHINA DAILY]

At the newly opened Guanglang Temple Memorial Hall, which recreates his exile's pivotal site, visitors trace Su's footsteps through exhibitions with poetic titles such as Life Is Like a Journey, Wringing My Scarf, Inviting Drunken Friends and Boundless Spring Winds from the Sea.

The exhibits showcase his impact on local customs, farming and ethnic unity. The site, built near the ruins of Su's thatched hut, features Song Dynasty-style architecture and replanted groves of arenga westerhoutii trees, recreating the landscape he described in verse: "Bamboo shadows dance in the morning light; this humble fence holds my boundless delight."

In Chinese, arenga westerhoutii trees were called guanglang, explaining the origin of the name of the temple.

"We've reconstructed Su's daily life here based on historical records," says Sheng Yun, deputy general manager of the Danzhou Tourism and Culture Investment Development Group, pointing to the newly planted grove of arenga westerhoutii trees and thatched-roof structures at the memorial hall.

Archaeologists also spent two years excavating the original site, unearthing more than 20 artifacts, including Song Dynasty ceramics and coins.

Su's letters to his son Su Mai reveal a man who found joy even in hardship, particularly through food. "The locals call these 'oysters'," he wrote in a playful note. "Roast them in coals — divine! But tell no northerners, lest they swarm here."

1 2 Next   >>|
Most Popular
Top
BACK TO THE TOP
English
Copyright 1995 - . All rights reserved. The content (including but not limited to text, photo, multimedia information, etc) published in this site belongs to China Daily Information Co (CDIC). Without written authorization from CDIC, such content shall not be republished or used in any form. Note: Browsers with 1024*768 or higher resolution are suggested for this site.
License for publishing multimedia online 0108263

Registration Number: 130349
FOLLOW US
 
主站蜘蛛池模板: 欧美成人看片黄a免费看| 韩国免费A级作爱片无码| 精品人妻无码一区二区色欲产成人 | 中文字幕人成无码免费视频| 精品久久久久久中文字幕女 | 亚洲a∨无码男人的天堂| 男男性彩漫漫画无遮挡| 国产视频一区在线| 为什么高圆圆被称为炮架| 男人j桶进女人p无遮挡在线观看| 国产视频你懂的| 中国特级黄一级**毛片| 最近最好最新2018中文字幕免费 | 免费中文字幕在线观看| 青青热久免费精品视频在线观看 | 亚洲a无码综合a国产av中文| 男人和女人做爽爽视频| 国产三级日产三级日本三级 | 中文字幕免费视频| 最近免费中文字幕大全免费版视频 | 狠狠97人人婷婷五月| 国产白嫩美女在线观看| 久久99精品久久久久久水蜜桃| 欧美成人一区二区三区| 免费在线看片网站| 色综合色综合色综合色综合网| 国产真实乱xxxav| 97国产在线视频公开免费| 岛国片在线免费观看| 久久天堂AV综合色无码专区| 欧美婷婷六月丁香综合色| 健身私教弄了好多次| 美女裸体a级毛片| 国产免费观看青青草原网站| japanese成熟丰满熟妇| 欧美性猛交xxxx免费看蜜桃| 免费国产成人高清在线观看麻豆| 草莓app下载2019年| 国产成人涩涩涩视频在线观看| 一本久久综合亚洲鲁鲁五月天| 日本特黄高清免费大片爽|