Spring in the South of the Yangtze [Tang Poems]

— Du Mu

Orioles sing for miles amid red blooms and green trees;

By hills and rills wine shop streamers wave in the breeze.

Four hundred eighty splendid temples still remain

Of Southern Dynasties in the mist and rain.

Note

Du Mu (803–852 CE) was one of the most celebrated poets of the late Tang Dynasty, known for his lyrical elegance, historical insight, and vivid imagery. Coming from a distinguished scholarly family, he combined classical refinement with a keen eye for landscape, emotion, and the passage of time. His poetry often blends beauty with melancholy, capturing the fleeting nature of prosperity and the quiet echoes of history.

One of his most famous short poems is “Spring in Jiangnan” (Spring in the South of the Yangtze or Jiang Nan Chun). In just four lines, Du Mu paints a sweeping panorama of southern China in spring: lush green hills dotted with villages, red temples half-hidden among misty trees, banners fluttering outside riverside taverns, and the distant sound of temple bells carried on the wind. But beneath this vibrant scene lies a subtle critique—hundreds of Buddhist monasteries were built during the Southern Dynasties (5th–6th centuries), many funded by state wealth, hinting at misplaced priorities that contributed to dynastic decline. Thus, the poem merges natural beauty with historical reflection, turning a spring landscape into a meditation on faith, power, and impermanence.

江南春
— 杜牧

千里莺啼绿映红，

水村山郭酒旗风。

南朝四百八十寺，

多少楼台烟雨中。