![]() ![]() Liquor is the product of natural fermentation, and even some of the Taoist immortals are often depicted in drunken states. One must recall that such ways are consistent with the Taoist principle of challenging social conventions. That he occasionally found himself exploring bottles of wine instead of beautiful nature is true, but it is important to stress that to a Taoist, Li Bai's drunkenness would not necessarily be seen as a vice. Like Du Fu, he spent much of his life traveling in accordance with Taoism, Li Bai's constant travels allowed him to live a life of innocent and joyful mindfulness, exploring and experiencing as much of the world as he possibly could. Li Bai is best known for the extravagant imagination and striking Taoist imagery in his poetry, as well as for his great love for liquor (many of his poems are about the comical and occasionally enlightening adventures of a wandering drunk). The Western world was introduced to Li Bai's works through the very liberal translations of Japanese versions of his poems made by Ezra Pound. Approximately 1,100 of his poems remain today. Called the Poet Immortal, Li Bai is often regarded, along with Du Fu, as one of the two greatest poets in China's literary history. ![]() ![]() ![]() Li Bai or Li Bo (701-762 C.E.) was a Chinese poet who lived during the Tang Dynasty. Li Bai Chanting a Poem by Liang Kai (Thirteenth Century) ![]()
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