Why This Matters
Heavenly Questions (Tian Wen), a cornerstone of the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu) tradition, stands as one of Chinese literature’s most linguistically daring yet enigmatic poems. Though its archaic language challenges modern readers, it remains essential for understanding the soul of Chinese culture—not just for its surreal imagery, but for how Qu Yuan channels his existential anguish and unyielding ideals through cosmic interrogations of heaven, earth, and spirits.
What You’ll Gain
Step into Qu Yuan’s World: Journey through the life and psyche of China’s inaugural poetic genius.
Cultural Legacy: Uncover why Qu Yuan’s patriotism and tragic demise shaped Chinese values for millennia.
Decode Tian Wen: Grasp the profound questions behind its cryptic verses—on cosmology, morality, and human destiny.
About Qu Yuan (c. 340–278 BCE)
Name: Born into the Mi clan of the Qu lineage, given name Ping, courtesy name Yuan.
Identity: A poet-statesman of the Warring States Chu Kingdom, China’s first great patriotic poet, and founder of Chinese Romantic literature.
Literary Legacy:
Pioneered the “aromatic herbs and noble beauties” (xiangcao meiren) symbolic tradition, using botanical and feminine imagery to convey virtue and political ideals.
Revered as the “ancestor of Chu Ci poetry”, his works—including Li Sao (The Lament), Nine Songs, and Tian Wen—marked China’s transition from collective ceremonial odes to individual romantic innovation.
His suicide in the Miluo River, protesting Chu’s corruption, birthed the Dragon Boat Festival, cementing his status as a cultural martyr.