{"id":11488,"date":"2026-11-08T02:48:41","date_gmt":"2026-11-08T02:48:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/?p=11488"},"modified":"2026-11-12T14:16:08","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T14:16:08","slug":"record-of-the-pavilion-of-the-drunken-old-man-by-wen-zhengming","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.chinaculturepro.com\/zh_hk\/record-of-the-pavilion-of-the-drunken-old-man-by-wen-zhengming\/","title":{"rendered":"Drunken Old Man\u2019s Pavilion: Wen Zhengming Scroll Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Quick Answer: What Is This Record of the Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man?<\/h2>\n

Record of the Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man (\u9189\u7fc1\u4ead\u8a18, Zu\u00ecw\u0113ng T\u00edng J\u00ec) is a calligraphy scroll catalogued by the National Palace Museum, Taipei, as a work by Wen Zhengming (\u6587\u5fb5\u660e, W\u00e9n Zh\u0113ngm\u00edng), dated 1551. Its 53.5 \u00d7 28.6 cm paper surface uses small regular script (\u5c0f\u6977, xi\u01ceok\u01cei) to copy a classical essay, followed by a long colophon. The museum retains this attribution, but scholars have challenged the work\u2019s authenticity.[1][3]<\/sup> <\/p><\/section>\n

\"Record
Record of the Pavilion of the Drunken Old Man by Wen Zhengming viewing guide<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

At a distance, the tiny characters form a quiet rectangle on a tall mounting. Enlarge the writing and the surface becomes more active: angled strokes, compact interiors and carefully maintained spaces carry a long essay and an additional commentary. Reading it involves both literary meaning and the identity of the hand that copied it.<\/p>\n\n

The Taipei Small-Regular-Script Scroll at a Glance<\/h2>\n
\n\n\n\n
Field<\/th>Identification<\/th><\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
Collection attribution<\/td>Wen Zhengming<\/td><\/tr>\n
Date carried in the colophon<\/td>1551<\/td><\/tr>\n
Medium and format<\/td>Ink on paper; hanging scroll<\/td><\/tr>\n
Written surface<\/td>53.5 cm high \u00d7 28.6 cm wide<\/td><\/tr>\n
Script<\/td>Small regular script<\/td><\/tr>\n
Contents<\/td>Classical essay followed by a colophon<\/td><\/tr>\n
Collection number<\/td>\u6545\u66f8000017<\/td><\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n

The size belongs to the written paper rather than the tall mounting surrounding it.[1]<\/sup> This guide concerns the compact small-script scroll, whose identity and attribution should be kept separate from other versions of the same essay. The wider artistic setting appears in Wen Zhengming\u2019s works and legacy<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ouyang Xiu\u2019s Essay Moves from Scenery to Shared Joy<\/h2>\n

The essay\u2019s author is Ouyang Xiu (\u6b50\u967d\u4fee, \u014cuy\u00e1ng Xi\u016b), a Northern Song writer, rather than the Ming calligrapher named on this scroll. It begins with the mountains around Chuzhou, narrows toward the pavilion, and expands again into changing seasons, an outing and a feast. The closing passage identifies the governor who shares the gathering\u2019s enjoyment.[1]<\/sup> <\/p>\n

Three selected passages show that movement. These are plain English senses translated from the classical text:<\/p>\n