人杰地灵 (ren2 jie2 di4 lin2) Inspiring greatness

July 5, 2009, Sunday |

Print Edition

WANG Bo (AD 650-676) was one of the "Four Top Scholars" of the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907). He left behind an archive of literary gems that included prose, verse and expressions that are still widely quoted by Chinese speakers today.

ren2 jie2 di2 ling2 or "a glorious place propitious for bringing forth great men" is but one of those jewels.

On the day of the Double Ninth Festival (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month in a lunar year) in AD 664, Wang was invited to a party held in the Tengwangge, a famous pavilion in today's Jiangxi Province. The traditional festival, which is still observed among Chinese around the world, always features mountain climbing, chrysanthemum appreciation and eating "Double Ninth" cakes.

After a few rounds of toasts at the party, the host proposed that all the guests write an essay on the spot to describe the grandiose pavilion. The best one would be carved onto a stone tablet that would be erected in front of the building.

Either because of their modesty or in fear of losing the contest to their watching peers, none of the guests picked up the brush pen. The paper, ink and pen were eventually passed to the table in front of Wang.

To everyone's surprise, Wang, the youngest of the group, picked up the brush pen and began to write verses on the paper.

As Wang was writing, others all gathered around to watch and some even commented that the beginning of the essay wasn't great. But as they read on, they were awed by the teenager's extraordinary talent at creating beautiful stanzas and handsome compositions.

Wang jotted down many idioms, including ren2 jie2 di4 ling2, to praise the place where the towering pavilion stood.

When the essay was finished, the host and all other guests offered the youngster their sincere congratulations.

Since then, Wang's essay about Tengwangge pavilion has been deemed a masterpiece of Chinese literature, and the saying ren2 jie2 di4 ling2 is now frequently quoted to describe a blessed place that brings forth great people who create great achievements in varied fields.

Now and Then

About Us
|
Terms of Use
|
RSS
|
Privacy Policy
|
Contact Us
|
Shanghai Call Center: 962288
|
Tip-off hotline: 52920043

沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
|
互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
|
网络视听许可证：0909346
|
广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
|
增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012

人杰地灵 (ren2 jie2 di4 lin2) Inspiring greatness

Email this to your friend