Fengxi Dream Seeking

Author: Zhou Shao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-02-01
Features: "Dreaming Along Feng Creek" is a collection of essays published by Gu Wu Xuan Press in February of this year and included in the "Remembrance of Jiangnan Series." The author lived in Suzhou for about eight or nine months from 1935 to 1936, with his residence near Suzhou's Feng Gate. "Feng Creek" refers to a waterway outside Feng Gate, but this waterway has lingered in his dreams for decades, forging an inseparable bond with Suzhou. Thus, he compiled his writings over the years about Suzhou's landscapes, history, figures, and customs into "Dreaming Along Feng Creek," aiming to rediscover lost dreams.
Suzhou's gardens are world-famous, but after reading "Dreaming Along Feng Creek," the editor felt that Mr. Zhou's portrayal of Suzhou's gardens does not focus on describing their scenic beauty but rather on integrating the gardens with people and historical events, creating a subtle and enduring artistic realm that is rich and thought-provoking to read. The essays "World Changes and the Humble Administrator's Garden" and "The Red Dress of the Humble Administrator's Garden" focus more on the owners of the garden, Chen Zhiliin and Qian Qianyi, and their families. One was Xu Can, the foremost female poet of the Qing Dynasty, and the other was the renowned female poet and extraordinary woman Liu Shishi. Through their lives, the author reveals the rise and fall of the garden and the ebb and flow of society.
The author's approach is clever, not only deepening the work's significance but also providing a viable path for writing excellent travel essays.