Poets
The lives and legacies of China's greatest poets — from Qu Yuan to Su Shi
10 articles
Great Tang Poets: Li Bai, Du Fu & the Golden Age
Li Bai, Du Fu, Wang Wei, and the Golden Age of Chinese Poetry
Li Bai: The Life of China's Most Legendary Poet
Banished immortal, imperial poet, eternal wanderer — the extraordinary life of the man whose poems have been memorized by billions.
Du Fu: The Conscience of Chinese Poetry
While Li Bai soared with the moon, Du Fu wept with the people — the poet whose compassion made him China's greatest literary conscience.
Li Bai vs Du Fu: The Rivalry That Defined Chinese Poetry
One was a drunk genius who wrote about moonlight and freedom. The other was a sober craftsman who wrote about war and suffering.
Women Poets of China: Voices Across Three Millennia
From Ban Jieyu to Li Qingzhao — the women who wrote some of Chinese literature's most powerful verses despite every obstacle.
Wang Wei: The Poet-Painter Who Captured Silence
In twenty characters, Wang Wei could paint a landscape that meditation masters spend years trying to describe — the poet who made stillness speak.
The Great Poets of China: Li Bai, Du Fu, and the Rivalry That Never Was
Li Bai and Du Fu are always mentioned together, as if they were rivals. They were not.
Bai Juyi: The Song of Everlasting Sorrow
The Song of Everlasting Sorrow
Li Shangyin: Master of Romantic Ambiguity
Master of Romantic Ambiguity
Tao Yuanming: The Recluse Who Found Paradise
The Recluse Who Found Paradise