When it comes to the famous Chinese landscape essay “The Records of the Drunken Master’s Pavilion”, we have to mention its author, Ouyang Xiu. The life story of this great writer of the Northern Song Dynasty is as full of meaning as his “Drunken Weng Meaning is not Wine” – you may have read this classic (translated by British sinologists as “The Old Drunkard’s Arbour”), which has been included in more than 20 textbooks, but you may not know that the author of the book, who wrote the phrase “to be happy with the people”, was a great writer. You may have read this classic (The Old Drunkard’s Arbour, translated by a British sinologist), which has been included in textbooks in more than 20 languages, but you may not know that the writer who penned the phrase “Be happy with the people” was in fact a poor child who lost his father at the age of four, but later went on to become a literary mentor who nurtured Su Dongpo, and a leader in the reform of literary style. Let us use a modern perspective, into the 900 years ago, “slash master” of the legendary life.
1st, the poor boy’s road to success
Ouyang Xiu was a great writer in the Northern Song Dynasty and a beloved official. His father died when he was four years old, and his mother had to teach him how to write with reed poles in the sand (this is the famous story of “practicing writing in the sand”). Although he was too poor to buy a pen and paper, he realized that studying was the only chance to change his fate.
In order to learn, he borrowed books from everywhere to copy. Once he borrowed a book by Han Yu, a writer of the Tang Dynasty, and was greatly inspired after reading it. From then on, he was determined to change the “flashy, but not practical” style of writing that was popular at that time. Later, he became the leader of the “ancient language movement”, which advocated the use of simple and easy to understand language to write articles.
2nd, the revelation of the three exams
Ouyang Xiu’s examination experience was full of ups and downs:
- The first failure: he realized that he could only learn by rote and his essays lacked ideas.
- Second failure: although he improved his writing, he still failed the examination.
- The third success: at the age of 24, Ouyang Xiu was finally admitted as a scholar.
These experiences made him conclude: “Good writing is like gold, sooner or later its value will be discovered”. This saying still encourages many people today.
3rd, a good official loved by the people
Ouyang Xiu had two main characteristics when he was an official:
- genuinely work for the people
During his tenure in Chuzhou, he built water conservancy projects, founded schools, and often traveled with the people. His most famous work “Drunken Master Pavilion” was written at this time, in which “drunkenness is not the meaning of wine” has become a golden sentence that has been passed down for thousands of years (original meaning: I am drunk not because of drinking, but intoxicated by the beauty of the landscape). - Insisted on telling the truth
He supported Fan Zhongyan’s political reforms, and even though he was demoted as a result, he did not regret it. He famously said, “Consider the problem before everyone worries, and enjoy it after everyone enjoys it.”
4th, the Bole who cultivated talents
Ouyang Xiu had three major contributions in the literary world:
- Writing classics such as The Story of the Drunken Master’s Pavilion
- Discovering and recommending Su Shi’s father and son, and cultivating the greatest literati of the Song Dynasty.
- Using works such as “The Sound of Autumn” to demonstrate how to write easy-to-understand and in-depth essays.
5th, Wisdom in Frustration
Ouyang Xiu experienced four demotions, but each time he was able to turn adversity into opportunity:
- Relegated to Chuzhou: he wrote the world-famous “The Pavilion of the Drunken Master”.
- Relegated to Yiling: he devoted himself to the study of history and later presided over the writing of important history books.
- In his later years, he said: “Human affection has nothing to do with the scenery”, showing an open-minded attitude towards life.
6th, Cultural Heritage Influencing the World
- Philosophy of Education
He advocated that “education should be in line with human nature”, and this idea of teaching according to the abilities of the students has influenced Chinese education to this day. Many of his articles are still included in primary and secondary school textbooks. - Historical Contributions
His history books created a new style of “storytelling + analysis”. For example, he summarized the laws of history by saying that “hard work can make a country prosperous, but excessive enjoyment will bring about its demise”. - Literary Reform
The “Ancient Literature Movement” promoted by Ouyang Xiu influenced Chinese literature for more than 600 years. Experts believe that without Ouyang Xiu, a genius like Su Shi might not have emerged.
What foreigners should know most
- The Story of Drunken Master’s Pavilion: translated into more than 20 languages, the version translated by British sinologists is called The Old Drunkard’s Arbour.
- Guwen Movement: the most important stylistic reform in Chinese literary history
- Liouyi jushi: Ouyang Xiu’s self-proclaimed name in his later years, representing the ideal life of ancient literati – collecting thousands of volumes of books, collecting antiques, playing the qin and chess, drinking wine and having fun.
Ouyang Xiu spent his life proving that real success is as much about writing good essays as it is about doing practical things for the people. His story tells us that reading and writing and helping others are the best solutions when encountering difficulties. Until today, people all over the world still feel the wisdom and sentiment of this 900-year-old literary hero through The Story of Drunken Master’s Pavilion.
