Douye Pavilion

Douye Pavilion

Douye Pavilion is located in Shaobo. Originally built in the second year of the Xining era of the Song Dynasty (-), it derives its name from its location, which “according to astronomy, belongs to the celestial division of Dou.” Perched atop a high mound and facing Shaobo Lake, the pavilion offers breathtaking views of the vast lake, distant sails dotting the water, and nearby village smoke rising from kitchen chimneys — all providing endless delight. For centuries, Douye Pavilion has drawn many scholars and poets to admire the scenery and compose poetry, especially during the Northern Song Dynasty when visits were most frequent, reputations most prominent, and every visitor inevitably wrote exquisite verse.

The first to arrive was Sun Jue (a native of Gaoyou), who strongly promoted Qin Guan and introduced him to Su Dongpo. The Gaoyou Wenyou Terrace was where Su Shi, Qin Guan, Sun Jue, and Wang Gong once drank and discussed poetry. If the Wenyou Terrace represents the chronicle of their gatherings, then Douye Pavilion stands as a monument to their friendship. Sun Jue composed a five-character ancient-style poem: “In Huaihai there are no wooded hills, / Just boundless plains of open marsh. / A single canal lies idle, its waters murky, / Not a scene of clarity. / An old monk rejoices in building, / Welcoming red-tiled eaves to the north window. / Eaves like the Dipper’s handle hang low, / Curtains as if the Milky Way pours down. / The flat lake stretches boundlessly, / Spring waves welling up vividly blue. / Mooring my boat, I sigh it’s late, / Failing to glimpse Lotus City. / Yet I still recall the purple water caltrops, / Freshly cooked pearls of flavor. / All my life I’ve had simple tastes, / A boat is enough to carry me along. / Whenever I chance upon beauty, I linger, / My frosty beard washed clean and bright. / I may wait till my teeth are gone, / Then return home, renouncing vain glory.” From Sun Jue’s poem, one can see that Douye Pavilion is indeed delightful. First, it has a majestic presence. “Eaves like the Dipper’s handle hang low, / Curtains as if the Milky Way pours down” — its structure resembles the Big Dipper fallen from the heavens, its curtains like the galaxy cascading from the sky. Then there is the beauty of the surroundings. Shaobo Lake blooms with lotus flowers, filling the air with the fragrance of lotus roots. To sit at Douye Pavilion, facing the lake, enjoying “purple water caltrops” and sipping “freshly cooked” delicacies — what greater joy is there? Even this elderly man found himself utterly enchanted.

Sun Jue visited in spring, so the image of Shaobo Lake covered in lotuses was just his imagination. His good friend Su Dongpo came in autumn and also composed a poem titled “In Response to Sun Jue’s Rhyme, Sent to Ziyu”: “Dropping anchor at Lord Xie’s islet, / The sun lies level east to west. / Finding rest awhile at this lone pavilion, / Twilight holds lingering clarity. / Seated, I watch the Dipper and Ox / Hung irregularly on the southern roof. / The old monk, unchanged through the years, / Smiles and our hearts instantly connect. / A new poem from an old friend, / Old memories feel like lives before. / Seven times I’ve crossed life’s journey, / Coming to old age in this seaside town. / Meeting people, I only laugh at myself, / Catching fish, I can’t bear to cook them. / I hear the aged man of Jixi / Is setting off again for the eastern capital. / A short poem like an autumn chrysanthemum, / Brilliant and bright amid the frost. / Hearing my words, you’ll surely feel moved, / And compose a long piece bursting with spring blooms.” “A short poem like an autumn chrysanthemum, / Brilliant and bright amid the frost” seems inspired by the scene before him. In the poem, he is clearly not in a good mood, burdened with unspeakable sorrow, hence finding the monk particularly comforting. As for his friend’s poetry, he praises, “A new poem from an old friend, / Old memories feel like lives before.” Su Dongpo’s younger brother, Su Zhe, also wrote two poems at Douye Pavilion: one titled “Douye Pavilion on the Shaobo Dam,” and the other “In Response to Zizhan, Following Sun Jue’s Rhyme – A Poem Sent from Douye Pavilion at the Shaobo Sluice.” From the line “Past travels left verses behind, / Dry ink preserved on high eaves,” we know that a poem he wrote previously had been inscribed and placed in the pavilion. Su Zhe felt indignant about his elder brother’s situation and advised him, “Plan to return to farming early, / So as not to shame the old monk’s honor.” “Monk’s honor” refers to the owner of Douye Pavilion. The poem suggests that his brother might as well retire early to fishing and rural life.

Huang Tingjian, one of the Four Scholars of Su, together with Dongpo, was known as “Su-Huang.” His response poem, “In Response to Sun Xinnong’s Poem on Shaobo Douye Pavilion,” praised his teacher’s verse as “Poetry from Suzhou, its lines clear as autumn air.” He also visited in autumn, thus his depiction of the scenery is rather desolate: “Flute music drifts from treetops, / Waves boil like a boiling cauldron,” “Frost is clear, fish seen swimming,” “White gulls fly far back.” Of course, the scenery reflects emotion. Having also suffered repeated political exclusion, he ends with the lament, “When will the fair one return?” This “fair one” refers to Sun Jue, who also struggled to find his place in the court. Concerned, Huang Tingjian advises him to lay down his burdens, retire to the fields, and escape the pursuit of fame and wealth. Qin Guan, also one of the Four Scholars of Su, is famed in literary history for his ci poetry. While Su’s ci is bold and unrestrained, Qin’s is delicate and restrained, the two forming complementary pillars of the ci world. His “In Response to Sun Xinnong’s Poem on Shaobo Douye Pavilion” was also written in autumn. His poem excels in landscape description: close scenes like “Water caltrops and lotuses withered and broken, / Pools of water colder, clearer still,” “Villages veiled in thatch and bamboo, / Solitary smoke rising from morning cooking”; and distant vistas such as “Gazing north to the mulberry homeland (Gaoyou), / Leisurely white clouds rise. / Looking south to the ancient Han Canal, / Vast waves embrace the desolate city (Yangzhou).” One visit is never enough; he hopes to return in spring: “When can I come again to roam, / When spring winds bring fresh blooms?”

Later, Zhang Lei, another of the Four Scholars of Su, visited and wrote “In Response to Sun Xinnong’s Poem on Shaobo Douye Pavilion.” Though Chao Buzhi did not write a response to Sun Xinnong, he composed “Viewing the New Embankment at Shaobo Dam” in three poems. Subsequently, the Northern Song poet Zhang Shunmin also wrote “In Response to Sun Xinnong’s Poem on Shaobo Douye Pavilion,” followed by Southern Song poet You Mao and others who also contributed poems here.

In the autumn of 2001, the Shaobo Town government invested heavily and selected a site at the confluence of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the ancient Han Canal to rebuild Douye Pavilion Park. The main pavilion features soaring upturned eaves and a classic, elegant design. Inside, stone tablets inscribed with poems by the Seven Sages display the calligraphy of the Four Great Masters of the Song Dynasty: Su (Shi), Huang (Tingjian), Mi (Fu), and Cai (Xiang). The surrounding area includes auxiliary pavilions, corridors, an artificial hill to the east, an iron ox statue lying to the north, and carved stone railings along the water. With its beautiful environment, exquisitely refined architectural style, and rich cultural significance from famous poetry and calligraphy, it is a rarity in China, comparable to the nation’s renowned Four Great Pavilions: Beijing’s Taoran Pavilion, Xuzhou’s Fanghe Pavilion, Chuzhou’s Zuiweng Pavilion, and Shaanxi’s Xiyu Pavilion. Visitors to the park can appreciate the poetry of the Seven Sages and the calligraphy of the Four Masters, as well as enjoy the scenic views of the canal. It is currently the premier attraction in Shaobo.