The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
By admin on 2015-01-12

During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, there were seven famous scholars who would get together in the bamboo grove for drinking wine, playing musical instruments, chanting poems and chatting. They were Ji Kang, Ruan Ji, Ruan Xian, Shan Tao, Xiang Xiu, Wang Rong and Liu Ling, whom people called “the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove“. These seven noted scholars were all advocates of Taoist theories and fond of music, wine and chatting. They were representative figures of Chinese metaphysics at that time. Many of their literary works were aimed at exposing and satirizing the imperial court. However, due to the different characters, thoughts and aspirations of the seven, they ended up in different situations.

Among them, Ji Kang, Ruan Ji and Xiang Xiu were noted writers and thinkers, all of whom were opposed to the Sima clan that was in power at the time. Ji Kang was multi-talented. He was not only excellent in poetry and literature, but also an accomplished musician. He was subsequently killed by Sima Zhao, who asked him to play Guangling San (a Guqin piece) before his death. The tune was since ranked as a masterpiece throughout the ages.

Due to political reasons, the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove went their separate ways in the end. Although they shared a relatively short time together in the bamboo grove, their literary works and advocating of the nihility thoughts of Laozi and Zhuangzi made them the symbol of honest scholars at the end of the Wei Dynasty. The seven scholars had a far-reaching impact on ancient Chinese writers and the development of ideological history.

The brick relief featuring the Seven Sages plus Rong Qiqi unearthed from the tombs of the Southern Dynasties at Xishan Bridge of Nanjing, Jiangsu Province in 1960 is an invaluable historical and cultural heritage. The relief is composed of over 300 ancient tomb bricks. In the relief, there are eight people sitting on the floor. Some of them are playing musical instruments, some are singing songs and some just listening and nodding. The featured characters are all distinctive and the depiction is simple and lifelike.