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The Life and Times of Su Tungpo
Lin Yutang’s *The Life and Times of Su Tungpo* delivers a vivid, heartfelt portrait of one of China’s most cherished literary and cultural icons. Set in the Northern Song Dynasty, this biography traces Su’s extraordinary journey: from a prodigious young scholar who excelled in imperial exams to a fearless official who dared oppose Wang Anshi’s controversial New Policies, enduring repeated exiles to remote, harsh regions like Huangzhou, Huizhou, and Hainan. Beyond his unmatched genius in poetry, ci lyrics, prose, calligraphy, and painting, Su was a compassionate leader who built flood defenses, established public hospitals, and saved abandoned infants. Even in dire hardship, his irrepressible humor, love for nature, and fusion of Confucian, Buddhist, and Taoist ideals turned adversity into inspiration, producing timeless masterpieces like the *Red Cliff Rhapsodies*. Lin captures Su’s essence: a man of unwavering integrity who found joy in simplicity and left an indelible mark on Chinese culture.
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