Su Shi in Lingnan and the Chinese Painting Genre "Fragrant Dream of Luofu"

Su Shi (1037-1101), an eminent scholar-official of the Song dynasty, plays an important role in Chinese literature, calligraphy, and painting. His works during his 1094 exile in Huizhou were particularly influential in the cultural reconstruction of Lingnan, the peripheral southern region of China. Su Shi composed at least 17 poems related to Lingnan, chronicling his travels, local cuisine, geography, and culture, while also engaging with the Jin hermit Tao Yuanming (365–427). Su Shi’s visit to Mount Luofu, as well as his writings about Lingnan and Mount Luofu, contributed to enhancing the reputation of both the region and Mount Luofu, which is recognized as Lingnan’s foremost mountain and one of China’s ten most famous mountains. This paper focuses on Su Shi’s writings during his exile in Huizhou and explores the interconnection between him and an understanding of the local places beyond the Song dynasty. In particular, it investigates Su Shi’s legacy on Mount Luofu, his encounters at various locations on the mountain, and how these elements have shaped the heritage narrative of Mount Luofu’s history. In Chinese art, the subgenre “Fragrant Dream of Luofu” typically depicts plum trees alongside a beautiful woman, often linked to the Tang legend of Zhao Shixiong’s encounter with an enigmatic beauty at Luofu. This paper assesses Su Shi’s writings to evaluate his contribution to the actual or imagined site of Plum Village on Mount Luofu. Su Shi’s birthday is commemorated among Guangdong literati through the notable “shousu hui” (literally, celebrating Su Shi's birthday). This paper also examines how Su Shi’s legacy within the Guangdong literary network have positioned him as a cultural icon, playing a significant role in Lingnan’s history and culture.