Su Shi

Su Shi
Statue of Su Tungpo near the West Lake in Hangzhou
Born	19 December, 3rd Year in the Jingyou era of Emperor Renzong of Song (1037-01-08)8 January 1037 Meishan, Sichuan, Northern Song Dynasty
Died	28 July, 1st Year in the Jianzhongjingguo era of Emperor Huizong of Song 24 August 1101(1101-08-24) (aged 64) Changzhou
Occupation	Minister of Rites, Poet, Essayist, Painter, Calligrapher,
Notable work	Fu on the Battle of Red Cliffs () Calligraphy work in the Cold Food Festival ()
Parent(s)	(father)
Relatives	Su Zhe (brother)

Su Shi
"Su Shi" in Traditional (top) and Simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
Traditional Chinese
Simplified Chinese
Transcriptions Standard Mandarin Hanyu Pinyin Sū Shì Gwoyeu Romatzyh Su Shyh Wade–Giles Su1 Shih4 IPA [sú ʂɨ̂] Wu Suzhounese Sou Seh Yue: Cantonese Yale Romanization Sōu Sīk Jyutping Sou1 Sik1 Southern Min Hokkien POJ So͘ Sek Tâi-lô Soo Sik Middle Chinese Middle Chinese Su Śik

Su Shi (January 8, 1037 – August 24, 1101), also known as Su Tungpo, was a Chinese writer, poet, painter, calligrapher, pharmacologist, gastronome, and a of the Song dynasty. A major personality of the Song era, Su was an important figure in Song Dynasty politics, aligning himself with Sima Guang and others, against the New Policy party led by Wang Anshi. Su Shi was famed as an essayist, and his prose writings lucidly contribute to the understanding of topics such as 11th-century Chinese travel literature or detailed information on the contemporary Chinese iron industry. His poetry has a long history of popularity and influence in China, Japan, and other areas in the near vicinity and is well known in the English-speaking parts of the world through the translations by Arthur Waley, among others. In terms of the arts, Su Shi has some claim to being "the pre-eminent personality of the eleventh century."Dongpo pork, a prominent dish in Hangzhou cuisine, is named in his honor.

He was named Shi () by his father Su Xun after a decorative arm rest used in the front part of Chinese carriages. The name was chosen to remind the boy to attend to his public appearance. Similarly, his brother Su Zhe was named after another carriage-related concept, zhe meaning "wheel track" and implying the boy should try to leave his mark in life. Su Shi's courtesy name was Zizhan. His pseudonym was Dongpo Jushi, from which he is often also referred to as "Su Dongpo".