博
Artist: Zhang Yu (1283-1350)
Date: Yuan (1271-1368)
Dimensions: Height 27.3 cm, Width 15.3 cm
Material: Ink on paper
Zhang Yu (1283-1350), also known by his zi (designated name) Boyu and hao (literary name) Juqu Waishi, was a native of Qiantang (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang province). The line telling "(Huang Gongwang) not returning to politics, but to Songjiang perch" alludes to the Western Jin dynasty story of Zhang Han, who abandoned his official post due to longing for "water shield and perch". The story symbolizes the longing for home and reclusion. The image of the Songjiang perch (Trachidermus fasciatus) became a recurring motif in classical poetry, calligraphy, and painting. It later becomes a quintessential cultural symbol of Songjiang and even the Jiangnan region. Other equally famous cultural symbol related to Huating includes the story of "Huating He Li (literally meaning the sound of crane in Huating)": The famous general and intellectual Lu Ji, a native of Huating, wished to hear the sound of crane in Huating before he was killed for the false charge of attempting a rebellion. In addition to this story, the Suzhou folk song "Better run barefoot than step upon Mr. Gu's (Gu Yewang) tomb", which shows people's respect to Gu, mentions another location in Shanghai. Gu's Dushudui (reading mound), a site where he used to read and write books, is located in present-day Tinglin in Jinshan, Shanghai.
