Su Shi

Su Shi (Chinese苏 轼/苏 轼, Pinyin Su Shi, * 1037, † 1101) was a poet, painter, calligrapher and politician of the Chinese Song Dynasty. He is better known by his nickname of Su Dongpo (苏东坡/苏东坡, Su Dongpo ), he gave himself to point out that he had lived on a farm on the eastern shore during his exile in Hubei (东坡 居士/东坡 居士, Dongpo Jushi ).

Life

Su Shi was born in Meishan, in today's Sichuan Province, the son of the writer Su Xun (Chinese苏 洵/苏 洵, Pinyin Su Xun ). His brother Su Che (苏辙/苏辙, SU Chè ) was also later a famous scholar.

In 1057 Su Shi was with his brother the Jinshi civil service exam, a requirement for a high government official. 1060, he joined the civil service and practiced for twenty years various official posts throughout China. 1069 was Su Shi Secretary in the Ministry of the civil service and outspoken opponent of the reform policy Wang Anshis, which led to a disciplinary transfer to Hangzhou. At this time today still remembers the Su Causeway. 1079, a process was against Su Shi strained because of offensive remarks about the government and he was a short time even jailed. It was not until 1086, when Wang Anshi had died, he was recalled to the imperial court in Kaifeng and again took a high state offices.

1094, when the Reform Party came to power again, Su Shi, the process was made ​​because he had allegedly uttered derogatory about the Emperor again. This time he was first banished to the modern province of Guangdong, and then on the subtropical island of Hainan, which was still at that time outside the Chinese cultural sphere of influence. 1101 was the Empress Mother Su Shi rehabilitate, but he died after his pardon in the same year in the town of Changzhou, in the present province of Jiangsu.

Even after his death Su Shi was alternately despised and respected. His works were banned for decades and his name was inscribed as the name of the traitor 120 on a stele. Later Su Shi was even honored with a place in the Confucius Temple, from which the panel was, however, removed his name six centuries later.

Historical Background

The cause of Sus restless and changeable biography is likely to be seen in the turmoil of the late 11th century. There were at that time political parties, similar to the groupings within the party systems today who fought against each other for the enforcement of their respective goals. A change of power drew almost always political purges after themselves. This was also the reason why Su Shi, who had repeatedly criticized the government's policies, offset from the punishment, banished and was imprisoned. These punishments were extremely moderate in comparison to those of previous dynasties.

Occasion of decades of party strife were primarily the reforms of Wang Anshi Chancellor. For these attacks to Su Shi later apologized in person to Wang Anshi:

"When the new policy was first announced, we were sure to be biased. In our enthusiasm for counter-arguments we were harming the country very much. We spoke impulsively and rarely met the truth. "

From the former opposition no resentment remained. When Wang Anshi had retired from active politics, the two poets even met to discuss literature.

Named after Su Dongpo pork dish is the " Dongporou " (东坡肉/东坡肉, Dōngpōròu ). The poet is said to have invented it by a poem to let the work him forget a pot on the stove schmorendem pork. After several hours it has become delicate tenderness. Dongporou is now prepared from fatty pork belly, which is cooked for hours with soy sauce, rice wine, sugar and spices and then mostly muffled until the fat and rind accept a creamy consistency.

Works

Su Dongpo was characterized above all by its poetry and prose. He wrote about 2,700 poems. His most famous poems are:

• Chibifu (Chinese赤壁赋/赤壁赋, Pinyin Chìbìfù, The red cliffs ')
• Shui diao ge tou (Chinese水调歌头/水调歌头, Pinyin Shuǐdiào gētóu, remembering Su Che on the Mid-Autumn Festival ')

In addition, Su Dongpo was an important representative of incurred during the Song Dynasty Chinese ink painting.

In Chinese calligraphy, he became the "Four masters of the Song period " (宋 四 家, SONG Jia sì ) expected, including Huang Tingjian belonged.