Taibai Study Platform

Taibai Study Platform

About 1.5 kilometers south of Susong County lies a small hill called Nantai Mountain. Though not tall, it is widely known for the “Taibai Study Platform,” which commemorates the legendary poet Li Bai. The most renowned county magistrate in Susong’s history was Magistrate Lu Qiu, who earned everlasting fame for sheltering the exiled poet Li Bai. According to the Susong County Annals, Lu Qiu came to serve as the county magistrate of Susong as a wandering scholar during the tumultuous period of the An Lushan Rebellion, when the people of the Jianghuai region were living in dire straits. Upon taking office, he governed with integrity, responded to the will of the people, and promoted policies for recovery and rest. As a result, many locals who had fled returned to farm, and Susong flourished under his governance.

In the second year of the Zhide era of the Tang Dynasty, Li Lin, the Prince of Yong, failed in his rebellion against Emperor Suzong and was defeated. Li Bai, who was implicated, was thrown into prison. Fortunately, he was rescued through the efforts of Guo Ziyi, Cui Huan, and Song Ruosi. After his release, Li Bai found himself adrift with no place to go. Magistrate Lu Qiu of Susong, admiring his poetic talent, bravely invited him to take refuge in Susong despite the risks.

Upon arriving in Susong, Li Bai stayed at the Nantai Temple on Nantai Mountain, where Magistrate Lu Qiu resided. To extend his warm hospitality to the poetic genius, Lu Qiu specially built a platform north of the temple for Li Bai to live and compose poetry — this became the “Taibai Study Platform.” Li Bai stayed here for three months, during which he wrote poems such as “To Lu Qiu of Susong” and “For the Recluse Lu Qiu,” as well as the famous lines “We two drink facing the blooming mountain flowers, cup after cup, again and yet again.” Not far southwest of the platform lies a lotus pond, beside which there used to be a “Drinking Pavilion,” believed to be the spot where Li Bai drank, admired the moon, played the zither, and composed poetry with Lu Qiu. Soon after, Li Bai was sentenced to exile in Yelang (present-day Tongzi, Guizhou), but was pardoned en route. Over the next three years, he lived a life of hardship and died at the age of 62 on Caishi Jetty.

Due to the passage of time, the original Taibai Study Platform had collapsed but was rebuilt after liberation. Today, the platform stands 2.2 meters high with an 8-meter circumference. At its center is a stone stele inscribed with “Taibai Study Platform” from the ninth year of the Tongzhi reign in the Qing Dynasty. The surrounding walls of the platform are engraved with poems Li Bai wrote about the landscapes, scenery, and people of Susong. Nearby ruins such as Jianke Ridge, Nantai Temple, and Drinking Pavilion can still be faintly discerned.

The Poetic Immortal Li Bai (February 8, 701 – December 762), courtesy name Taibai, also known as Qinglian Jushi (“Immortal of the Green Lotus”) or the “Banished Immortal,” nicknamed Li Twelve, was a poet of the Tang Dynasty and is often mentioned alongside Du Fu as one of the “Two Lis.” Li Bai’s works are compiled in The Collected Works of Li Taibai, with representative poems including “Quiet Night Thought,” “Drinking Alone Under the Moon,” and “Dream Journey to Tianmu Mountain: A Farewell Poem.” He brought ancient romanticist literature to new heights, mastered the song-style verse and seven-character quatrains to levels few could rival. Li Bai’s greatest achievements lie in his yuefu poetry, song-form verses, and quatrains; his style is bold and unrestrained, fresh and graceful, rich in imagination, wondrous in imagery, and exquisite in language — romantic in spirit and lofty in vision... More details about Li Bai ++