Unique Beauty

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Editor's Note:

"Read ten thousand books, and your pen will be guided as if by the gods" is an ancient Chinese idiom that can be seen in students' textbooks. China's Ministry of Education has published an action plan to further promote reading among students across the nation. With new and diverse book recommendations, the reading scene is expected to be revived not only at schools, but also across society. To contribute to this endeavor, the Global Times launched "My Reading Life" essay contest for middle school students.

Please pick up a pen and share your stories with us at [email protected]

Participants will be rewarded once the article has been selected.

I recently finished reading the book Ren Jian Yan Huo Jie Shi Shi (The Earthly Life is Poetry) written by Wang Liqun, a professor at Henan University who specializes in the study of ancient Chinese literature and culture. The book primarily focuses on the poems from China's Song Dynasty (960-1279), with a total of 35 selected poems used as examples for analysis.

The author Wang Liqun said, "What really represents the cultural spirit of the Song Dynasty is Song poetry." One selected poem that comes to mind was written by Su Shi, a Song Dynasty calligrapher, poet, and travel writer. He made a trip to Lushan Mountain, located in Jiujiang, East China's Jiangxi Province, and wrote seven poems, with the most famous one being "Writing an Inscription on the Wall of Xilin Temple." The poem is as follows:

It's a range viewed in face and peaks viewed from the side,

Assuming different shapes viewed from far and wide.

Of Mountain Lushan we cannot make out the true face,

For we are lost in the heart of the very place.

Su expressed his feelings after visiting Lushan Mountain through his writings. He vividly described his impressions of the mountain in his poem, capturing the beauty of the scenery and aiming to enlighten people with its philosophical insights on life.

One can feel that the language of Song poetry records plain life scenes with clear language and also reveals the sincerest emotions in the author's heart. The language of the poem is straightforward and unvarnished. This poem by Su is still being taught in schools across the country today.

After finishing the entire book, I reviewed a TV series called Chinese Poetry Congress, which is an ongoing game show on CCTV that tests competitors' memory and recitation ability of Chinese poetry. The author, Wang Liqun, is also one of the judges.

To appreciate the essence of Chinese culture, which has been inherited for 5,000 years, we can gain a glimpse of it through ancient poems. China is a country known for its rich poetic tradition, and the preservation of these stories serves as a valuable resource for cultural innovation. The beauty of classical poetry is deeply rooted in our cultural tradition, and I take great pride in China's profound cultural heritage. These poems, not only in this book but also in many other collections, embody numerous elegant and noble qualities. They were created by ancient literati who possessed a deep understanding of the human psyche and society, reflecting the common experiences of life.

The author is a student at the Beijing No.2 Middle School