Till his Temples Frosted in his Autumn Years
- Poetry of Su Shi

1.     Anshi: Lord Xie An (social name Anshi 320-385 AC) was a Chinese politician of Eastern Jin dynasty (317- 420 AC). He was already well-known for his elegance and eloquence when he lived a free life at  his East Hill by the Yangtse River near the East Sea. But his brother died in a fierce battle at the border, he had to come out of his secluded comfort zone for his family and the State. Great achievements were witnessed soon after. Not only his family status was consolidated as one the Big Three in the ruling class, but also, Jin’s state territory drew a bigger map because of his presence in the Court. The idiom‘rise like the phoenix’(东山再起) came from his story.

2.     West Gate: It was recorded that Anshi came through the west gate on his way home after he fell sick and never was he recovered hence. Superstition had it that the Sun sets on the west side, implying the decline of his fate.   

3.     Liu Bei: lived from 161 to 223 AC, the first emperor of Shu Han, one of the Three Kingdoms. He was a remarkable politician and a brilliant leader that Su Shi admired. Please refer to other works by Su Shi –“A Moon-Night Drink on a Boat by Red Cliff”( 《前赤壁赋》) and“Meditating on the Past at Red Cliff ”(《念奴娇. 赤壁怀古》) .