Table Of Contenttravel literatUre U.s. $16.95
S
Chinese civilization first developed 5,000 years ago in North o
China along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. And u
the Yellow River remained the center of Chinese civilization for the t
h
next 4,000 years. Then a thousand years ago, the center moved to the Yangtze.
o
The Yangtze, not the Yellow River, has remained the center of its civilization. A
f
thousand years ago, the Chinese came up with a name for this area: Chiangnan,
t
meaning “South of the River,” south of the Yangtze. h
But it’s not just a region on the map. It’s a region in the Chinese spirit. Ask a e
dozen Chinese what “Chiangnan” means, and they’ll give you a dozen different
Y
answers. For some, the word conjures forests of pine and bamboo. For others,
a
hillsides of tea, or terraces of rice, or lakes of lotuses and fish. Or Zen monaster- n
ies, or Taoist temples, or artfully constructed gardens, or mist-shrouded peaks. g
Whatever else it might mean to people, Chiangnan means a landscape, a land- t
z
scape and a culture defined by mist, lacking the harder edges of the arid North.
e
In the Fall of 1991, Bill Porter traveled through this vaporous land, follow-
ing the old post roads that still connected its administrative centers and scenic
wonders, its most famous hometowns and graves, its factories and breweries,
its dreamlike memories and its mist. He was joined on this journey by his poet
and photographer friends Finn Wilcox and Steve Johnson. South of the Yangtze
is a record in words and stunning black and white photographs of their trip,
including a lexicon of Chinese names and terms.
Praise for The Silk Road
“Fans of Owen Lattimore, The Road to Oxiana, Aurel Stein, and other B
like-minded ventures and adventurers will find Porter’s latest a pleasure and i
l
l
an inspiration.” —Kirkus
P
o
Praise for South of the Clouds
r
t
“Porter uses his personal charm and fluency of the language to uncover
e
hidden gems . . .” —Booklist r
Bill Porter (Red Pine) was born in Los Angeles in 1943
and attended graduate school at Columbia University. An
acclaimed translator, his published works include four major
Buddhist texts: The Platform Sutra, The Diamond Sutra, The SOUTh of the YANGTZE
Lankavatara Sutra, and The Heart Sutra. He has lived in
Taiwan and Hong Kong, and has traveled extensively in China, visiting Zen
temples and seeking out hermits. He lives in Port Townsend, Washington. t r av e l s t h r o u g h t h e h e a rt o f c h i n a
ISISBBNN:9 97788-1-1--6611990022--773344--33 Bill Porter
COUNTERPOINT
5 1 6 95
www.counterpointpress.com
Distributed by Publishers Group West
9 781619 027343
South of the Yangtze
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To Melanie Nan and Nic Gould
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SOUTH of the
YANGTZE
travels through the heart of china
Bill Porter
COUNTERPOINT
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Text and photographs copyright © 2016 by Bill Porter
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No
part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written
permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical
articles and reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Porter, Bill, 1943-
Title: South of the Yangtze : travels through the heart of China / Bill
Porter.
Description: Berkeley, CA : Counterpoint Press, [2016]
Identifiers: LCCN 2016008978 | ISBN 9781619027343 (paperback)
Subjects: LCSH: Yangtze River Region (China)--Description and travel. |
Porter, Bill, 1943---Travel--China--Yangtze River Region. |
Landscapes--China--Yangtze River Region. | Yangtze River Region
(China)--History, Local. | Yangtze River Region (China)--Social life and
customs. | Yangtze River Region (China)--Pictorial works. |
Black-and-white photography--China--Yangtze River Region. | BISAC: TRAVEL
/ Asia / China.
Classification: LCC DS793.Y3 P67 2016 | DDC 951.2--dc23
LC record available at http://lccn.loc.gov/2016008978
Cover and interior design by Gopa & Ted2, Inc.
Typesetting by Tabitha Lahr
COUNTERPOINT
2560 Ninth Street, Suite 318
Berkeley, CA 94710
www.counterpointpress.com
Printed in the United States of America
Distributed by Publishers Group West
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Contents
Map 3
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
1. Kuangchou 5
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2. Hengyang & Hengshan 19
. . . . . . . . . . . . .
3. Revolutionaries 41
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4. Changsha 54
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
5. Poets 64
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
6. The Spirit of the River 74
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
7. Lushan 88
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
8. Pure Land & Zen 103
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
9. Nanchang 118
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
10. Porcelain & Ink 127
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
11. Huangshan & Chiuhuashan 139
. . . . . . . .
12. Li Pai 152
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
13. Nanking 161
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
14. Immortals & Teapots 172
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
15. Wuhsi & Changshu 183
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16. Suchou 194
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
17. Hermits & Pearls 204
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
18. Hangchou 217
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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19. Shaohsing 229
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
20. Tientai 239
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
21. Ningpo 251
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
22. Putuoshan 262
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Lexicon 269
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
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South of the Yangtze
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