Outside the Imperial Court: Visits and Elegant Gatherings of Literati in Dongjing in the Northern Song Dynasty—Centering on Su Shi

Abstract

Social interaction was an important activity for literati outside the imperial court. Dongjing (the capital of the Northern Song Dynasty, present-day Kaifeng) played a pivotal role in the social interactions among literati of the Northern Song Dynasty. Literati frequently visited each other and held elegant gatherings at their residences or in gardens. The residences of Su Shi, Fan Zhen, Wang Gong, Wang Shen, Wang Yu, and Su Shi’s six disciples were located in different parts of Dongjing. Despite their differences in birthplace, family background, and career history, these literati in Dongjing developed a shared identity through their visits and elegant gatherings. Their relationships were maintained and strengthened in this way, leading to the formation of a loosely structured but relatively stable social circle. Together, they created a socio-cultural atmosphere with distinctive features of their time and region.

Keywords

Northern Song literati / Dongjing / Su Shi / visit / elegant gathering

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2024 Higher Education Press