In 2023, China Central Television released a remarkable documentary about Su Shi titled “Ding Feng Bo (定风波)“. Covering themes like poetry, art, cuisine, travel, and society, the series revisits the tumultuous life of Su Shi, also known as Su Dongpo, highlighting how his attitude toward life continues to inspire us today.
Su Shi is portrayed by Nie Yuan, who, at 45, skillfully captures Su Shi's life from his 20s to his old age. Whether it's his youthful ambition as he begins his official career, his diligence in serving the people, his despair during the “Crow Terrace Poetry Case,” or his optimism after being exiled, Nie brings each phase of Su Shi's life to vivid life, making this arguably the best on-screen portrayal of Su Shi to date.
The five episodes of “Ding Feng Bo” are titled “Chu Chuan Ji,” “Hu Shan Ji,” “Mo Jie Ji,” “Xuan Hu Ji,” and “Jie Lu Ji.” The cinematography greatly enhances the aesthetic quality of the series, perfectly aligning with the artistic ambiance of Su Shi's poetry. Every frame is stunning enough to be a wallpaper.
Su Shi is often remembered as a literary giant who loved life, but in truth, he faced much hardship, including persecution, exile, and repeated misfortunes. His experiences could have easily overwhelmed anyone. He lost his mother at 20, his wife at 28, his father at 29, contemplated suicide at 42, was exiled to Huangzhou at 43, lost his son Su Dun at 48, was exiled to Huizhou at 57, and to Hainan at 60. Yet, Su Shi reached the highest realms of life amid his lowest moments, and his optimism and resilience continue to uplift those in dark times.
Born in January 1037 in Meizhou, Sichuan (now Meishan City), Su Shi came from a scholarly family. His younger brother, Su Zhe, was born two years later. Their father, Su Xun, named them “Su Shi” and “Su Zhe.” “Shi” refers to the front guardrail of a carriage, while “Zhe” means the tracks left by a carriage, symbolizing the brothers' mutual love and dependence. Together, Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Zhe were known as the “Three Sus,” among the eight greatest prose masters of the Tang and Song dynasties.
Su Shi showed great talent early on, reading at age 7, writing at age 10, passing the imperial examination at 21, and topping the “Zhike” examination at 25. Recognized by Emperor Renzong, he was widely admired, and his poems and essays were eagerly shared. Even Empress Dowager Cao became a loyal admirer.
At age 19, he married Wang Fu, his lifelong love, who was 16 at the time. Intelligent, modest, and literate, Wang Fu shared a deep bond with Su Shi. Tragically, she died at 27, inspiring Su Shi's deeply moving poem, “Jiang Cheng Zi”, commemorating her. The poem begins, “十年生死两茫茫，不思量，自难忘。千里孤坟，无处话凄凉。” (Separated by life and death for ten years, no thought can ever forget. The thousand-mile grave, there's no place to speak of sorrow.)
It seems that fate often toyed with Su Shi. His shining moments of youth quickly faded. With his straightforward nature, he didn't fit well into the intricate world of court politics. During Wang Anshi's reform period, Su Shi managed to offend both the reformers and the conservatives. As a result, he became marginalized and sought to leave the capital to escape the conflicts.
Su Shi served twice in Hangzhou, where West Lake had long been neglected, leading to silt buildup, overgrown weeds, and a water level that was significantly reduced, affecting agricultural production. Su Shi mobilized over 200,000 workers to clear the lake, removing overgrown reed fields and restoring the lake to its former glory. He used the dredged silt to create a long embankment crossing the lake, with six bridges connecting it for ease of travel. Later generations named it the “Su Causeway.”
To prevent future silt buildup and overgrown weeds, Su Shi came up with a solution that addressed three issues: renting the lakeside area to local households for growing water chestnut. This required clearing the weeds, which helped keep the lake clean, generated rental income to fund lake maintenance, and provided a livelihood for the households. Su Shi also built three stone pagodas at the deepest part of the lake to monitor silt buildup, resulting in the iconic West Lake scene known as “Three Pools Mirroring the Moon.”
Su Shi served as the governor of eight regions and was a leader at the local level. It was easy for him to mobilize resources to accomplish tasks. Even after being demoted and imprisoned, he continued to help the people. While exiled to Huizhou, he built two bridges, the East and West New Bridges. The regions where he was exiled: Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Danzhou – were considered wild, uncivilized lands at the time. Su Shi's arrival brought a seed of civilization to these areas.
The documentary describes Su Shi as someone who couldn't bear to see the suffering of ordinary people, always looking downward to understand their needs. To him, there were no truly despicable people, only those deserving of sympathy. Wherever he went, he tried to help those in need, gaining the love of the people. In every place where Su Shi served, traces of the people's admiration remain today.
However, his enemies at court were relentless. In April 1079, Su Shi wrote a letter to Emperor Shenzong to thank him for appointing him as the governor of Huzhou. Though it was a routine letter, his poetic nature made even this official communication emotionally charged, expressing how he felt: “I don't adapt to the changing times and have difficulty working with the young reform officials promoted by Wang Anshi (could be interpreted as Su Shi whining to the Emperor)”. The reformers seized upon this, accusing him of “mocking the court, arrogance,” and disloyalty to the emperor. On July 28, Su Shi was arrested and brought to the capital, leading to the infamous “Crow Terrace Poetry Case.”
The Crow Terrace Poetry Trial case became a turning point in Su Shi's life. He was tortured in prison and eventually confessed under duress. Ready to end his life, he wrote a despairing poem: “是处青山可埋骨，他年夜雨独伤神。(Everywhere, green hills could bury my bones; one day, alone in the pouring night rain, grief overwhelms me.)”
After many efforts, especially the persuasion of Empress Dowager Cao, Emperor Shenzong spared Su Shi's life. But Su Shi was demoted to Huangzhou, where he was forbidden from handling official duties and given no salary. At 44, he had fallen to his lowest point, and his livelihood was uncertain. His friends couldn't bear to see him struggle, so they asked local officials to grant him an abandoned military camp on a gentle eastern slope to farm. Su Shi adopted the nickname “Dongpo Jushi” (Resident of the Eastern Slope), and henceforth became known as Su Dongpo.
When Su Shi first arrived in Huangzhou, he was deeply disheartened and spent most of his days sleeping, only venturing out for solitary walks at night. However, three years later, Su Shi's mindset shifted, leading to the creation of his famous poem “Ding Feng Bo · Mo Ting Chuan Lin Da Ye Sheng” In it, he writes: “Straw shoes and a bamboo stick, have been doing just great as one on steed. Who cares! Looking back at the road taken, it's just a tempest in a cup of tea, no storm in the forest, no wind from the east. (竹杖芒鞋轻胜马，谁怕？一蓑烟雨任平生。……回首向来萧瑟处，归去，也无风雨也无晴。)” While others run to escape the rain, he strolls leisurely through it, finding more joy in his bamboo staff and straw sandals than in riding a horse.
In his later years, Su Shi reflected on his life in “Self-inscription for a Painting of Me at Jinshan Temple”: “My heart is like a tree burned down to ash. My body is a floating boat fully detached. If you wish to know the life strokes I wrote, Just go to Huangzhou, Huizhou, Danzhou. (心似已灰之木，身如不系之舟。问汝平生功业，黄州惠州儋州。)” These were all the places where he had been demoted. Huangzhou, in particular, marked the peak of his creativity. Of the more than 300 poems he wrote in his lifetime, nearly 100 were written in Huangzhou, accounting for almost a third of his poetic works. Without his exile to these three regions, Su Shi might not have achieved the literary accomplishments he is known for today.
In Chinese literary history, Su Shi holds a unique place. He wasn't as transcendent as Li Bai nor as patriotic as Du Fu. He served in the high courts yet also wandered across the land; his life was often turbulent, yet he always stood above the storm. The documentary “Ding Feng Bo” allows us to cross through history and see Su Dongpo, gaining inspiration from his approach to adversity. As the saying goes, “Don't fear the coming storm; poetry and wine are best enjoyed while young, embracing life's mist and rain.”
We admire Li Bai, and we respect Du Fu, but the one we'd most like to befriend is Su Shi. He represents the person walking alongside us in the saying, “Life is like a journey against the current; I am but a traveler as well.”
