The Trend of Traveling in Jiangnan among Poets of the High Tang Dynasty and Li Bai’s Unique Geographical Memory—A Study on Li Bai’s “Seeing Off Wei Wan, the Recluse of Wangwu Mountain, Back to Wangwu Mountain, with a Preface”

Abstract

In Li Bai’s 李白 “Seeing Off Wei Wan, the Recluse of Wangwu Mountain, Back to Wangwu Mountain, with a Preface” 送王屋山人魏万还王屋并序, which consists of 64 lines, the entire journey of Wei Wan’s 魏万 travels in the Wu and Yue regions (along the lower reaches of the Yangtze River) is meticulously recounted. Many of the scenes described in this poem also appear in Li Bai’s other works on Jiangnan, making this poem a complete collection of Li Bai’s literary accounts of Jiangnan. By examining the chronology of Li Bai’s poems about his travels in Yue, it can be observed that Wei Wan’s journey closely resembles Li Bai’s initial trip to Wu and Yue. Wei Wan’s travel enthusiasm stirred Li Bai’s youthful memories. Li Bai’s account of the journey not only praises Wei Wan’s celebrated scholarly demeanor but also serves as a reminiscence of Li Bai’s own multiple travels in Eastern Zhejiang, reflecting the geographical consciousness of people in that era regarding Jiangnan. Unlike the Early Tang poets’ fondness for traveling in Shu (present-day Sichuan) and distinct from the Mid-to-Late Tang poets’ experiences of traveling for official purposes or seeking refuge to the south of the Yangtze River, the trend of traveling in Jiangnan during the High Tang period was primarily driven by a need for spiritual experiences. This was related both to the central status of Tiantai Mountain in Daoism and to the initial geographical consciousness and aesthetic view formed among scholars of the time through the book Selections of Refined Literature 文选. Interpreting Li Bai’s poems allows for a detailed examination of the cultural connotations within his geographical consciousness.

Keywords

Li Bai / “Seeing Off Wei Wan, the Recluse of Wangwu Mountain, Back to Wangwu Mountain, with a Preface” / Jiangnan / travel / geographical memory

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