Huanglang An

Huanglang An

Huanglang An is located in the southern suburbs of Zhonghe Town, Danzhou City. It was the residence where Su Dongpo lived for three years during his exile in Danzhou.

In the Shaosheng era of the Song Dynasty, when Su Dongpo and his son first arrived in Danzhou, the local prefect Zhang Zhong held Su Dongpo in high esteem, allowing the father and son to live in an official residence and regularly providing them with government grain. However, this good situation did not last long. The following year in Hunan—upon learning of this in Leizhou, he sent people to drive them out. With no place to live, Su Dongpo and his son were in a very desolate situation. Both local officials and residents sympathized with them and helped Su Dongpo build a house together in the areca forest south of the city. With the help of the villagers, three thatched cottages were erected. Although surrounded by pests such as insects and ants, the cottage was situated in an areca forest described as “green bamboo trunks and leaves, branches like crabapple,” which comforted Su Dongpo so much that he named the cottage “Huanglang An.” In the same year, Su Dongpo helped the villagers dig a well. The spring water was abundant and sweet, so the villagers named it “Dongpo Well.” For hundreds of years, the well has never dried up. Huanglang An is a relic of Su Dongpo’s three-year life in Danzhou and has undergone multiple renovations and expansions over the dynasties. The current Huanglang An was specially restored by the local government in recent years.

Huanglang An reflects Su Dongpo’s rural life during his three-year exile in Danzhou and serves as an important symbol of the deep bond between the great literary master and the people of Danzhou. Its multiple renovations and expansions throughout the dynasties show the deep respect of the people. Today, the Danzhou Municipal People's Government has allocated funds, hired skilled craftsmen, and engaged in design and restoration of Huanglang An. Historical relics related to Su Dongpo are displayed here to recreate the actual living conditions of him and his son, expressing the eternal remembrance and commemoration of Su Dongpo by the people of Hainan.

Su Shi (1037–1101), also known as Zi Zhan and with the courtesy name Dongpo Jushi, was a native of Meishan, Meizhou (now part of Sichuan). His family had a strong literary tradition. His grandfather Su Xu loved reading and was good at poetry. His father, Su Xun, was a renowned classical prose writer who provided careful guidance to both Su Shi and his younger brother Su Zhe. His mother, Lady Cheng, was knowledgeable and principled, once telling the young Su Shi the story of Fan Pang from the "Book of the Later Han · Biography of Fan Pang" to inspire him with the deeds of ancient virtuous men and encourage him to uphold integrity. By the time Su Shi was 21 and left Sichuan for the capital, his knowledge and cultivation were already quite mature.

Su Shi was erudite and broad-minded in thought... More details on Su Shi++

Zhonghe Town: A town under the jurisdiction of Danzhou City. Established as Zhonghe Town in 1957, later changed to a commune, became a district in 1983, and was re-established as a town in 1986. Located in the northwest of the city, it is 50 kilometers from the municipal government. Covering an area of 51.5 square kilometers with a population of 27,000, it is connected by road to the Na (Da) Gan (Chong) Highway. It administers 11 village committees including Gaodi, Shuijing, Shanchun, Lingchun, Heping, Wuli, Qili, Huanlong, Huangjiang, Changcun, and Hengshan, as well as one neighborhood committee, Zhonghe. Town-run enterprises include a timber processing plant, repair shop, non-staple food processing plant, agricultural tools factory, waterworks, and tourism. The main agricultural products are rice and peanuts. Area... More details on Zhonghe Town++