A journey comes full circle
An 11th-century literary giant faced punishment, but his writings are driving a heritage and economic revival in Hainan today, Chen Bowen reports in Haikou.
For Hainan, the three-year cycle of the Dongpo festival represents a response to the genuine heart that Su once held, and the opening of a new cultural current. Each concert, forum, and creative product is "like dropping stones into a long river of culture", creating ripples that keep the "source water" flowing, according to local cultural planners.
As Russian professor Aleksandr Storozhuk from St. Petersburg State University observed after the academic forum, the series of events demonstrates "exceptionally high academic standards" and "the cohesion and contemporary vitality of Hainan's Dongpo culture".
"During his exile in Hainan, Su Dongpo always spoke highly of Hainan's local customs and people with great enthusiasm. The people of Hainan, in turn, held him in deep respect, understood him sincerely, and offered him support. They mirrored and uplifted each other, creating a legacy of mutual enrichment," said Li Gongyu, chairman of the Hainan Su Research Association. "The Dongpo culture, timeless and ever-vibrant, stands as a globally influential representative of China's outstanding traditional culture. It continues to hold significant meaning for the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port today."
From a dampened exile departure point in Chengmai to a statewide, multi-year cultural celebration, Su's journey in Hainan has come full circle. The poet who once found solace and purpose on the island is now helping it find a deeper, more distinctive identity, proving that some historical contracts, written in ink and spirit, only grow richer with time.
