“曲径通幽”（“Qǔ Jìng Tōng Yōu”）:A Winding Path Leads to a Secluded Spot
Definition: “Qu Jing Tong You” means “a winding path through the bamboo woods leads to a secluded spot,” or a small path opens up on an enchanting view.
Historical figure: Chang Jian
Origin: The idiom has it origin in “Ode to the Buddhist Retreat Behind Poshan Hill Temple” from The Quan Tang Shi (The Complete Poetry Works of Tang Dynasty)
Ode to the Buddhist Retreat Behind Poshan Hill Temple
I come to the convent at the break of day;
When the rising sun shines bright over a wood of tall trees.
A winding path with bamboos alongside leads to a secluded spot;
A meditation chamber hides deep in the flowers and trees.
The mountain views delight the hearts of the birds;
While a pond reflection dismisses our worldly cares.
All the noises are quieted now and here;
Only the temple bell’s chime still echoes in my ear.
This five-character regulated verse (or “pentasyllabic regulated verse”) is celebrated for its classic simplicity, clear progression, and evocative purity. It has been considered as a distinctive masterpiece among the landscape poems composed during the Tang Dynasty.
The poem “Ode to the Buddhist Retreat Behind Poshan Hill Temple” was composed by Chang Jian in the Tang Dynasty. Poshan Hill was situated in Changshu, Suzhou. According to Chongxiu Qinchuan Zhi compiled by Lu Zhen during the Yuan Dynasty: “Poshan Hill is a separate peak of the Yu Mountain… hence the name ‘Po’ (Broken) shan Hill.’” Wu Weiye of the Qing Dynasty wrote in his poem “Inscribed on a Painting by Wang Shigu”: “In a view of natural beauty, resembling an ink-wash scroll, / Stand the Weimo Temple and the Bridge of Poshan Hill.”
The Poshan Hill Temple in the poem refers to the Xingfu Temple, which was first built during the Southern Dynasties. By the time of the Tang Dynasty, the temple was widely recognized as an ancient site. It is located by the Polong River at the northern foot of the Yushan Mountain. During the Southern Qi Dynasty, local official Ni Deguang, who served as the governor of Chenzhou, donated his own residence to build a temple. It was first named the Daci Temple (meaning “great compassion”). In the third year of the Datong era of the Liang Dynasty, the temple was renamed as the Xingfu Temple (meaning “prosperity and fortune”). After the Zhenguan era of the Tang Dynasty, it was known as the Poshan Hill Temple. During the Huichang era, Emperor Wuzong carried out a campaign against Buddhism, which led to the destruction of the temple. It was later restored in the Dazhong era. In the ninth year of the Xiantong era, Emperor Yizong bestowed a grand bell to the temple, upon which the name “Xingfu Temple of the Poshan Hill” was inscribed. Over the centuries, this temple has undergone cycles of decline and revival. Today, more than a thousand years later, it stands as a renowned Buddhist monastery in the southern area of the Yangtze River. The plaque above the temple gate, reading “Xingfu Chan Temple” (meaning “Xingfu Zen Temple”), was inscribed by the renowned calligrapher Sha Menghai. In November 1982, the temple was designated as a major historical and cultural sites protected at the county level. In 1983, it was listed as a national key temple. The year 1984 witnessed the erection of a stone stele bearing the “Record of the Restoration of the Xingfu Temple in Changshu” by the monk Miaosheng. The text was composed by Professor Qian Zhonglian of Soochow University and inscribed by Professor Lu Yifei of the Zhejiang Academy of Fine Arts (the present-day China Academy of Art).
Chang Jian’s poem, inscribed on the Buddhist temple and its meditation grounds, expresses the poet’s reclusive spirit and strong affinity with mountains and rivers. The first couplet has two versions: “I come to the convent at the break of day; / When the rising sun shines bright (“明,” pronounced as “ming”) over a wood of tall trees (or “照”, pronounced as “zhao” with the meaning of “flooding… with light”).” Generally speaking, the opening couplet of a five-character regulated verse does not demand strict metrical symmetry and precision, while the middle couplets should strictly observe this rule. However, this poem employs a structural variation known as “exchanging pillars” or “stolen spring” couplet, where the first couplet exhibits neat and precise parallelism, but the second does not. Similar to the opening lines, there are two versions for the second couplet as well: “A path through bamboo woods (“竹径,” pronounced as “Zhu Jing”) / A winding path (“曲径,” pronounced as “Qu Jing”) with bamboos alongside leads to a secluded spot…” But most people today favor “a winding path with bamboos alongside leads to a secluded spot,” because the subtlety and meandering embodied in the line correspond very well with the aesthetic ideals of traditional Chinese culture. The second couplet possesses a distinct pictorial quality. Guided by these poetic lines, we can almost visualize the zigzag, narrow path and the quiet temple standing serenely amidst the trees and flowers.
Reading the poem, one feels as if s/he, following the poet, climbs up the Poshan Hill and steps into the Xingfu Temple early in the morning when the sun is just starting to rise. In Buddhism, the gathering place for monks is called a “Cong Lin,” which literally means a “forest assembly” or “forest monastery” while extendedly meaning a “monastic community.”). Therefore, the phrase “Gao Lin,” meaning “a wood of tall trees,” also carries a sense of reverence for the monastery. The poet makes his way along the bamboo-fringed path through the temple, arriving at the secluded rear courtyard where he discovers the meditation hall for chanting and worship nestling among flowers and trees. This tranquil and exquisite setting fills him with awe and delight. In Buddhism, it is said that after meditation, monks, “though still eating and drinking, find true flavor in meditative joy.” The poet, at this moment, experiences profound spiritual purity and contentment as well. This serene dwelling spot inside the temple features transcendent atmosphere which can set one free from worldly attachments. This mood matches perfectly with the poet’s yearning for a life withdrawn from the secular world.
Chang Jian, whose dates of birth and death remained unknown, was a successful candidate in the imperial examination during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty. He was listed on the same roster as Wang Changling. The man never achieved significant success in his official career and often found solace in visiting famous mountains and places of interest. This poem was inscribed by the poet on a wall of the Poshan Hill Temple after his visit to it. Most of Chang Jian’s works are five-character quatrains, often themed on forests, mountains, temples, and monasteries, though he also wrote frontier poems. His collected works are known as Chang Jian Ji (The Collection of Chang Jian’s Poems). The stele bearing the poem “Ode to the Buddhist Retreat Behind Poshan Hill Temple” is celebrated as an example of “Three Perfections”—being perfect in poetry, in calligraphy, and in engraving. The famous poem by the Tang-Dynasty poet Chang Jian was transcribed by the calligrapher Mi Fu of the Song Dynasty and later engraved onto the stone tablet by the renowned seal engraver Mu Dazhan of the Qing Dynasty. The inscription on the stele clearly explains how Mi Fu’s manuscript came to be engraved. It reads: “While serving as prefect of Xiangyang Prefecture, I obtained the poem written in Mi Fu’s own hand and then had it engraved on a stone tablet at Poshan Hill. Perhaps my choice could, in a small way, make up for what the temple lacks in terms of its legacy. This incident is recorded by Yan Rusì whose style is Suyuan on the Mid-Autumn Festival in the 37th year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign.” The inscriber, Yan Rusi, was a Qing-Dynasty official and a seventy-fifth-generation descendant of the ancient sage Yanzi. In the third year of Emperor Qianlong’s reign, he was selected as an “Engong Sheng,” meaning “a tribute student by imperial grace,” and served as an instructor at the Imperial Academy under the Bordered Yellow Banner. Since then, Yan held a succession of posts, including magistrate of Yuanqu County in Shanxi and prefect of Xiangyang Prefecture. It was during his tenure in Xiangyang that he came across Mi Fu’s handwritten calligraphic work featuring Chang Jian’s poem. Yan Rusi later brought back to the Poshan Hill Temple and entrusted it to the master engraver Mu Dazhan for carving. Thus, at the lower corner of the stele, there is an additional note in tiny handwriting: “Engraved by the master carver Mu Dazhan, the Pine-Enjoying Hermit of in his fifties.”
