The Impression of Luling: Ouyang Xiu and His Hometown
2024-05-15 15:46:08 中文版

When it comes to the Chinese literary figure and historian Ouyang Xiu from the Song Dynasty, it is inevitable to mention his self-styled moniker "Lu Ling Ouyang Xiu". This moniker not only reflects his identification with his personal background, but also maps the close connection between the identity of scholars and regional culture during that era. So, where does Lu Ling refer to today? And how did it become a part of Ouyang Xiu's spiritual world?

Lu Ling, anciently known as Lu Jiang and later renamed as Ji Zhou, was a county name in ancient China, with its administrative seat located in today's Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province. In the Tang Dynasty, Lu Ling was widely used as a county name, while in the Song Dynasty, it was more commonly known as Ji Zhou. Therefore, when we say "Lu Ling Ouyang Xiu", we are actually referring to Ouyang's self-acknowledged hometown - Jiangxi Ji'an.

Ouyang Xiu, styled Yongshu and nicknamed Drunken Old Man in his later years, was a renowned literary figure, politician, and historian of the Northern Song Dynasty. He was famous in literary history for advocating the ancient prose movement, opposing the prevailing parallel prose style of the time, and advocating a return to the ancient prose style of the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties. In his political career, he also rose to the position of participating in government affairs, exerting a profound influence on the politics and culture of the Song Dynasty.

However, despite all his honors and achievements, Ouyang Xiu never forgot his roots - Lu Ling. Although he spent most of his life serving as an official elsewhere, he always held a deep emotional attachment and nostalgia for his hometown. His moniker of "Lu Ling" undoubtedly represents a cultural roots-seeking of his birthplace and a perseverance of his identity.

Lu Ling is not just a geographical concept, but also a cultural symbol. In Ouyang Xiu's poems and essays, we can easily find his descriptions of the natural scenery of Lu Ling, his appreciation of the humanistic environment there, and his concern for the lives of the local people. It can be said that the landscapes and human emotions of Lu Ling have already been integrated into Ouyang Xiu's literary creation and emotional expression.

Today's Ji'an City, although having undergone thousands of years of changes and no longer being the ancient Lu Ling county, still carries rich historical and cultural heritages. The hometown of Ouyang Xiu and the commemorative sites related to him have become cultural bridges connecting the past and the present, attracting countless literary enthusiasts and historians to come and visit and study.

In summary, Lu Ling is not just the historical name of today's Ji'an City, Jiangxi Province, but also the eternal spiritual homeland in Ouyang Xiu's heart. When we mention "Lu Ling Ouyang Xiu" today, we are not only pointing to a geographical location, but also tracing the spiritual starting point and emotional sustenance of a cultural giant.

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