Li Bai (李白) — The Celestial Poet & Wandering Swordsman
Dynasty: Tang Dynasty (701-762)
Rode the rivers with a jug of wine and a sword, singing the freest verses under the moon.
Life Footprint & Journey Nodes
Suyab, Central Asia (Silk Road) (西域碎叶城 (丝路绿洲)) - Age 4
Ancient Silk Road oasis hub under Tang protectorate, modern Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan
Born on the Ancient Silk Road Oasis in Central Asia
Born in Suyab under the Tang protectorate in Central Asia. His family later migrated eastward across deserts and oases into the prosperous basin of Sichuan.
At five I recited the calendar arts; at ten I surveyed the hundred schools.
五岁诵六甲，十岁观百家。 (Wǔ suì sòng liùjiǎ, shí suì guān bǎijiā.)Jiangyou, Sichuan (Kuangshan Study) (四川江油 (匡山苦读与学剑)) - Age 23
Scenic foothill county of Mount Kuang, Sichuan (Li Bai youth retreat)
Mastering Swordsmanship and Daoist Mysticism by Age 15
Studied atop Mount Daitian (Kuangshan) for a decade. He excelled in poetry, Daoist philosophy, and fencing, preparing for his ambition to conquer the Tang Empire.
At fifteen I mastered the sword, seeking patrons far and wide; at thirty my prose was complete, mingling freely with ministers.
十五好剑术，遍干诸侯；三十成文章，历抵卿相。 (Shíwǔ hǎo jiànshù, biàn gàn zhūhóu; sānshí chéng wénzhāng, lì dǐ qīngxiàng.)Mount Emei & Chongqing (Gorges Departure) (四川峨眉山与渝州 (仗剑去国)) - Age 24
Yangtze River gorges departure nestled in misty mountain valleys, modern Chongqing
Leaving Homeland Forever with a Sword at His Waist
At age 24, Li Bai left Sichuan forever. Sailing past the three gorges under the autumn moon, he penned the crystalline masterpiece 'Moon over Mount Emei'.
Half a circle of autumn moon over Mount Emei; its reflection glides in the Pingqiang River stream.
峨眉山月半轮秋，影入平羌江水流。 (Éméi shān yuè bàn lún qiū, yǐng rù Píngqiāng jiāngshuǐ liú.)Wuhan (Yellow Crane Tower), Hubei (湖北江夏 (黄鹤楼送孟浩然)) - Age 26
Historic twin-city crossing the middle Yangtze, modern Wuhan, Hubei
A Legendary Farewell at the Yellow Crane Tower
In Jiangxia (Wuhan), Li Bai met the renowned poet Meng Haoran. Standing atop the Yellow Crane Tower in blossoming spring, he watched Meng sail eastward toward Yangzhou.
A lone sail's distant shadow dissolves into the emerald sky; now only the Yangtze River flows into the horizon.
孤帆远影碧空尽，唯见长江天际流。 (Gūfān yuǎnyǐng bìkōng jìn, wéi jiàn Chángjiāng tiānjì liú.)Anlu (Baizhao Mountain), Hubei (湖北安陆 (酒隐安陆十年)) - Age 32
Baiyun Mountain haven and residence of Prime Minister Xu family, Hubei
Marrying into a Prime Minister's Family & Living in Green Mountains
Married the granddaughter of former Chancellor Xu Yushi. In the serene hills of Anlu, Li Bai spent ten years writing poetry, brewing wine, and waiting for the imperial call.
You ask why I dwell amidst the emerald mountains; I smile without answering, my heart naturally at peace.
问余何意栖碧山，笑而不答心自闲。 (Wèn yú hé yì qī bìshān, xiào ér bù dá xīn zì xián.)Chang'an (Imperial Court), Shaanxi (陕西西安 (大唐都城长安 · 供奉翰林)) - Age 42
Imperial capital of the Tang Empire, modern Xi'an, Shaanxi
Summoned by the Emperor: The Reign of the Wine Immortal
Emperor Xuanzong summoned Li Bai to serve as Hanlin Scholar. Respected elder poet He Zhizhang exclaimed: 'You are an immortal banished from Heaven!' Li Bai wrote 'Bring in the Wine' (Qiang Jin Jiu) during this zenith.
Heaven bestowed my talents, they must serve a grand design; a thousand gold coins scattered will all return in time.
天生我材必有用，千金散尽还复来。 (Tiānshēng wǒ cái bì yǒuyòng, qiānjīn sàn jìn hái fù lái.)Luoyang & Central Plains (Du Fu Encounter) (河南洛阳 (李杜世纪相聚)) - Age 44
Eastern imperial metropolis where Li Bai and Du Fu first encountered each other, Henan
The Most Legendary Meeting in World Literature: Li Bai Meets Du Fu
After leaving the capital, Li Bai met 33-year-old Du Fu in Luoyang, later joined by Gao Shi. The trio roamed ancient battlefields, creating a bond revered through millenniums.
How can I bend my brow and bow my back to serve the powerful and rich, robbing my heart of joy and radiant smile!
安能摧眉折腰事权贵，使我不得开心颜！ (Ān néng cuīméi zhéyāo shì quánguì, shǐ wǒ bùdé kāixīn yán!)Xuancheng & Peach Blossom Pool, Anhui (安徽宣城 (独坐敬亭山与赠汪伦)) - Age 53
Poetic haven of Mount Jingting and Peach Blossom Pool, Anhui
Soulmate Mountain & Peach Blossom Pool Friendship
In Xuancheng, Li Bai gazed at Mount Jingting in absolute serenity. Later at Peach Blossom Pool, villager Wang Lun surprised him with singing villagers, prompting Li Bai's eternal poem on deep friendship.
Though the water of Peach Blossom Pool runs a thousand feet deep, it cannot compare to the depth of Wang Lun's love as he sees me off.
桃花潭水深千尺，不及汪伦送我情。 (Táohuātán shuǐ shēn qiān chǐ, bùjí Wāng Lún sòng wǒ qíng.)Mount Lu & Jiujiang Prison, Jiangxi (江西庐山与寻阳狱 (安史乱起与下狱)) - Age 56
Misty sacred peaks and Yangtze naval prison, modern Jiujiang, Jiangxi
Trapped in the Storm of War: Imprisoned at Age 56
During the rebellion, Li Bai joined Prince Yong's staff hoping to defeat rebels. When the Prince fell in a royal feud, 56-year-old Li Bai was cast into Jiujiang Prison before being sentenced to harsh exile in Yelang.
In the deep night I sigh four or five times, forever anxious for the great realm.
中夜四五叹，常为大国忧。 (Zhōngyè sìwǔ tàn, cháng wéi dàguó yōu.)Yelang Exile Route, Guizhou (贵州夜郎 (长流夜郎西南绝域)) - Age 58
Ancient remote mountainous exile frontier of the southwest, Guizhou
Chained and Banished to the Southwestern Jungle
Exiled to Yelang, he traveled slowly up the Yangtze River and Dongting Lake, battling disease and hardship while writing sorrowful letters to fellow poets.
The road to Yelang stretches ten thousand miles; journeying west ages a man.
夜郎万里道，西上令人老。 (Yèláng wànlǐ dào, xī shàng lìng rén lǎo.)Baidicheng (The Great Pardon), Chongqing (重庆奉节白帝城 (朝辞白帝 · 绝处逢生)) - Age 59
Majestic entrance to Qutang Gorge overlooking Yangtze Gorges, Fengjie, Chongqing
Pardoned! 'My Light Skiff Has Passed Ten Thousand Mountains!'
Reaching Baidicheng, he received news of a general imperial pardon. Overjoyed, Li Bai immediately boarded a light boat and flew down the Three Gorges back toward Jiangling in a single day.
Amid the gibbons' ceaseless cries from both mountain shores, my light skiff has skimmed past ten thousand mountains.
两岸猿声啼不住，轻舟已过万重山。 (Liǎng'àn yuánshēng tí bù zhù, qīngzhōu yǐ guò wàn chóng shān.)Dangtu, Anhui (Riding the Whale to the Moon) (安徽当涂 (捉月骑鲸 · 诗仙升仙)) - Age 61
Historic Yangtze River cliff haven near modern Ma'anshan / Nanjing, Anhui
The Poet Who Loved the Moon: Leaping to Embrace the River Moon
Passed away in Dangtu at age 61. Legend holds he drowned trying to catch the moon's reflection in the Yangtze River, ascending to heaven as the immortal he always was. His final poem compared his life to a great Roc bird soaring across the universe.
The giant Roc soared, shaking the eight horizons of heaven; struck down in mid-sky, its mighty strength ran dry—yet its residual wind will inspire ten thousand generations.
大鹏飞兮振八裔，中天摧兮力不济。余风激兮万世者，游圣州兮各聊浪。 (Dàpéng fēi xī zhèn bāyì, zhōngtiān cuī xī lì bù jì.)
In-Depth Essays & Philosophical Inquiries on Li Bai
Browse All Classical Wisdom Essays in Directory
- Bring in the Wine: Decoding Li Bai's Greatest Tang Masterpiece
Explore the rebellious genius and existential philosophy behind Li Bai's iconic masterpiece Qiang Jin Jiu, celebrating fleeting life and freedom.
- Li Bai vs. Du Fu: Wine Immortal vs. Poet-Sage — Who Was China's True Greatest Poet?
Li Bai or Du Fu? Compare the two giants of Chinese poetry — their contrasting worldviews, friendship, poetic styles.
- Who Was Li Bai? Tang China's Poet Immortal
Who was Li Bai? Discover China's Poet Immortal, his Silk Road origins, wandering swordsmanship, court clashes, and immortal verses of wine and moon.
