Su Shi

Su Shi (simplified Chinese: 苏轼; traditional Chinese: 蘇軾; pinyin: Sū Shì; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), courtesy name Zizhan (子瞻), art name Dongpo (東坡), was a Chinese poet, essayist, stateman, calligrapher, painter, gastronome, and travel writer who lived during the Song dynasty. A major personality of the Song era, Su was an important figure in Song Dynasty politics, aligning with Sima Guang and others, he was an outspoken policy critics against the New Policies faction led by Wang Anshi. Su had a lengthy career in bureaucracy, taking various provincial posts and serving as a senior official at the imperial court. He has also endured a series of political exiles during which his creative career flourished.

Su is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished figures in classical Chinese literature, leaving behind him a prolific collection of poems, lyrics, prose, and essays. His prose writings contributed to the understanding of topics including 11th-century China's travel literature and iron industry. His poetry had enduring popularity and influence in China, Japan, and other areas in the near vicinity and is well known in some English-speaking countries through translations by Arthur Waley and Stephen Owen, among others. In arts, Su was described by Murck as "the preeminent personality of the eleventh century." His writing frequently touched upon the topic of cuisine, where he is considered to have had a profound influence. Dongpo pork, a prominent dish in Hangzhou cuisine, is named in his honor.

Su remains a revered and cherished figure among both intellectuals and the general populace, transcending the boundaries of his era. Contemporary researchers Zhu and Wang have observed that Su's impact on the Chinese people's values and beliefs is profound, asserting that his cultural and philosophical influence rivals that of notable philosophers like Mencius and Zhuangzi.