“司空见惯” (“Sī Kōng Jiàn Guàn”): A Matter of Repeated Occurrence
Definition: The idiom means “being a common or repeated occurrence.” It is similar to “Xi Yi Wei Chang” and “Lv Jian Bu Xian,” meaning “being accustomed to doing sth.” and “a common occurrence and nothing new” respectively. “Si Kong Jian Guan” is used more often in written than in spoken Chinese.
Historical figures: Liu Yuxi, Li Shen
Origin: The idiom comes from a poem by the Tang-Dynasty poet Liu Yuxi, titled “On Minister Li Gifting away His Courtesan”: “With palace-style haircut high like a cloud, / She sings ‘Du Weiniang’ in the spring breeze. / What the Minister of Works is so accustomed to / Breaks the heart of the Suzhou Prefect.” There are other versions of the poem, but all of them include the phrase “Si Kong Jian Guan.”
On the Title “Sikong”
Sikong is both a surname and an official title. It is one of the two-character surnames in China. The origins of “Sikong” are debated. Some believe it derives from the clan who shared the surname Si, descending from the legendary Yu the Great. They took the official title as their surname. Others trace it to the Tao-Tang clan, who were descendants of Emperor Yao, also adopting the official title as their surname. The official title “Sikong” has a long history behind it. Word has it that when the Western Zhou Dynasty introduced the position of Sikong into the system of its official titles, it also created titles such as Sima, Sikou, Sishi, and Situ, collectively known as the “Five Si Officials,” (the five offices whose titles began with the character “si”). In the Rites of Zhou, Sikong corresponds to the Winter Minister, one of the Six Ministers. The character si (司) means “to administer” or “to manage,” while kong (空) refers to “space” or “construction.” In ancient times, Sikong was the official in charge of water conservancy and civil engineering, a role equivalent to the later Minister of Works (“Gongbu Shangshu”). By the Tang Dynasty, the title Sikong had largely become ceremonial. While nominally involved in deliberating state affairs, it was essentially an honorary title bestowed as a mark of prestige, with no real administrative power.
About the Poet
This idiom originates from the poem “On Minister Li Gifting away His Courtesan,” which involves two historical figures.
Liu Yuxi (772–842), whose courtesy name was Mengde, was a native of the region that is now Jiaxing, Zhejiang Province (though some sources suggest Xuzhou, Jiangsu Province, or Luoyang, Henan Province). He served as Investigating Censor during his political career and was known as “Shi Hao” (the “Poetic Hero”). He participated in the Yongzhen Reform and was repeatedly demoted and exiled. Throughout his life, Liu Yuxi held a variety of official posts, including Sima of Langzhou; Prefects of Lianzhou, Kuizhou, and Hezhou; Vice Director of the Bureau of Receptions, Vice Director of the Ministry of Rites, Prefect of Suzhou, and Tutor to the Crown Prince. His works were later collected into a book titled The Collected Works of Liu Binke. Liu Yuxi and Bai Juyi were collectively referred to as “Liu-Bai,” while he and Liu Zongyuan were called “Liu-Liu.” Liu, together with Wei Yingwu and Bai Juyi, were acclaimed as the “Three Literary Giants.” His most famous works include “An Inscription to My Humble Room,” “Viewing Dongting Lake,” “Bamboo Branch Songs,” “Blacktail Lane,” and “Thoughts of Old Times at Xisai Mountain,” etc.
Li Shen (772–846), with the courtesy name Gongchui, was a native to the region of present-day Bozhou, Anhui Province but his family later moved to today’s Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. Li Shen served as a chancellor in the Tang Dynasty. In 803, while staying in Suzhou, Li Shen wrote “A Record of Dragon Painting in Suzhou.” Li held a number of official posts throughout his life, including Collator of Texts, assistant instructor at the Imperial Academy, and Senior Academician of the Hanlin Academy. After being framed, he was demoted to Sima of Duanzhou (“Sima” means “military assistant.”). His later appointments included Prefects of Chuzhou and Shuzhou; Surveillance Commissioner of Zhedong; Governor of Henan; Military Commissioner of Xuanwu; Vice President of the Chancellery; and Tong Zhongshu Menxia Pingzhangshi (equivalent to a chancellor, who participated in policy formulation). He also served as Military Commissioner of Huainan. Li Shen maintained close friendship with both Yuan Zhen and Bai Juyi. The man was an advocate and participant in the New Yuefu Movement (a literary movement in the middle of the Tang Dynasty) as well. His famous poem “Sympathy for the Peasants” depicts common people’s hard life and criticizes political corruption and the rulers’ incompetence.
About the poem
The poem “On Minister Li Gifting away His Courtesan” recounts Liu Yuxi’s experience. In those days, Liu Yuxi had been relieved of his post as Prefect of Hezhou and already appointed to be Director of the Bureau of Receptions and Academician of the Jixian Hall. He travelled from Hezhou to the capital city Chang’an to assume his new position. Upon Liu Yuxi’s arrival in Chang’an, Li Shen, who was an admirer of him, invited Liu Yuxi to his home as a guest. He hosted a banquet in Liu’s honor. Li also entertained the distinguished guest by having a courtesan perform songs while they were drinking wine. The courtesan’s beauty and her singing deeply impressed Liu Yuxi, who was known for his free spirit. Moved by the scene, he improvised a poem on the spot. The overall meaning of the poem is: With a hairstyle as elegant as a court lady’s, the beauty sings gently, whose voice is like the spring breeze. All these are commonplace to you, the Minister of Works, and your heart stays undisturbed. But for me, the Prefect from the south of the Yangtze River, it stirs up countless sorrows and twists my heart with melancholy! Upon hearing these lines, Li Shen, with a laugh, made the immediate decision to gift the courtesan to Liu Yuxi.
The Tang Dynasty was a time known for its open social customs. Those scholar-officials often hosted extravagant banquets. At these feasts, courtesans were summoned to give performances of singing and dancing. Inspired men of letters would compose poems, which then became widely circulated among the people. This particular poem is believed to be Liu Yuxi’s veiled criticism of Li Shen’s extravagant life, although the poem itself does not explicitly name the “Minister of Works” involved. The identification of the minister in the poem as “Li” comes from Meng Qi’s Ben Shi Shi (Poetic Anecdotes), a collection that documents anecdotes about poets and related verses during the Tang Dynasty.
The claim that this “Minister Li” actually refers to Li Shen originates from the unofficial history and fiction collection Taiping Guangji (Extensive Records of the Taiping Era) compiled in the Song Dynasty.
The title “Sikong” (“Minister of Works”) in Tang Dynasty was not a functional or active post. Instead, it was an additional or honorary title conferred on officials, sometimes posthumously, in recognition of their excellent service. At the time when Liu Yuxi was demoted, Li Shen had not yet served as a chancellor and therefore could not have been given this title. Although later rising to the position of chancellor, Li Shen was never appointed “Minister of Works” during his lifetime. It is known to all that in ancient China, after the death of emperors, aristocrats, or high-ranking officials, the court would grant them a posthumous honorary title (“谥号” shihao) based on the assessment of their life and conduct. An emperor’s shihao was typically proposed by ritual officials, while those for officials were bestowed by the court. However, scholars, literati or recluses usually received private shihao (私谥) from their families, friends, disciples, or former subordinates after their death. For example, after the poet Meng Jiao passed away, Han Yu privately honored him as “Sir Zhenyao” (“贞曜先生,” in which “Zhenyao” means “glamour” and extendedly refers to one’s steadfast and noble character) in praise of his integrity and perseverance in poverty. Li Shen, after his death, was granted the official shihao “Wensu” (“文肃”) by the court. This shihao, one of very high distinction, was reserved for those officials known for their solemn self-discipline, rigorous governance, and unwavering integrity.
Then, was “On Minister Li Gifting away His Courtesan” actually written by Liu Yuxi about Li Shen?
It seems that ancient scholars also noticed the contradictions in the relevant records. In Yunxi Youyi (Amical Discussions in the Clouded Valley), Fan Shu revised the line “It breaks the heart of the Prefect of Jiangnan” into “It breaks the heart of the Prefect of Suzhou”, thus resolving the discrepancies between the timeline and official titles. Yunxi Youyi records anecdotes and unofficial histories after the Kaiyuan era, with a particular focus on poetry and related backstories, some of which are not found in any other works. Thanks to this book, a large part of the content has been preserved and passed down. Although some details recorded are not very accurate, the elements of legend or myth are relatively fewer.
According to the accounts in A Chronological Biography of Liu Yuxi and the “Biography of Liu Yuxi” in Xin Tang Shu (The New Book of Tang), the year 826 witnessed Liu Yuxi’s transference from the post of Hezhou Prefect to the Department of State Affairs in the eastern capital Luoyang. In 828, he was reassigned to the capital as Director of the Bureau of Receptions, and later became an Academician of the Jixian Hall. In 831, after being relieved from the posts as Director in the Ministry of Rites and an Academician of the Jixian Hall, Liu was appointed to be the Prefect of Suzhou. Meanwhile, Li Shen was transferred from the position of Prefect of Shouzhou to the post of Imperial Tutor to the Crown Prince in 833. Therefore, the two would not have an opportunity to meet in the capital during this period, but it is possible that they could have gathered in Suzhou, which could be evidenced by the fact that they exchanged poems in the following year. Li Shen sent a poem titled “Impromptu Lines on a Late Spring Day in Yuezhou” to Liu Yuxi, to which Liu Yuxi replied with “In Response to Vice Minister Li of Zhedong’s ‘Impromptu Lines on a Late Spring Day in Yuezhou’.” It is worth noting that in this poem, Liu Yuxi addresses Li Shen explicitly as “Vice Minister Li.”
In fact, when Liu Yuxi and Li Shen met at that time, Li Shen’s official title was by no means related to “Minister of Works” (司空). It was not until 845, when Li Shen was appointed Military Governor of Huainan, that the emperor granted him the honorary position of Acting Minister of Works (“可检校司空”) and Participating in Determining Governmental Matters” (“平章事”). By then, Liu Yuxi had already passed away for nearly three years. Had Li Shen known that later generations would fabricate such stories about him, he would certainly have cried out against being wronged. Not only did he never kept a family courtesan, but he also never gifted one away to anyone.
Nevertheless, this poem remains an outstanding work which is well-known and widely spread, attributed to Liu Yuxi as the Prefect of Suzhou. Despite the varied misunderstandings, misinterpretations, and playfully retold versions that arise from its widespread appearance in numerous publications and online platforms, it has ironically become an all-too-familiar occurrence.
