Appreciation of Song, Liao, and Jin Poetry

Author: Su Shi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1990-01-01
Features: In the long history of Chinese poetry, Song poetry represents another peak following the Tang poetry. Although the Song Dynasty achieved reunification again, it no longer possessed the grandeur of the Tang Empire. The interplay of internal troubles and external crises eventually led to the collapse of the unified regime. The Southern Song Dynasty, with its half of the realm, managed to endure for over a hundred and fifty years amidst turbulent times, but finally fell to the iron hooves of the Mongols. Song scholars and officials explored various reforms for enriching the nation and strengthening the military, resisting external aggression, amidst intense factional struggles. In the intellectual sphere of the Song Dynasty, traditional textual studies gradually gave way to studies of mind and nature, and Confucianism evolved into Neo-Confucianism after absorbing elements of Buddhist and other philosophies. Its rise and decline were closely intertwined with political struggles. Rooted in the soil of this era, Song poetry naturally bore the unique imprint of its intellectual and cultural traditions. While Liao and Jin were rival ethnic regimes to the two Song Dynasties, Chinese culture still maintained a dominant position, and their works also possess distinctive characteristics, worth exploring.