Zhang Hu (poet) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Zhang Hu |
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| Traditional Chinese | 張祜 | ||||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 张祜 | ||||||||
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| Chinese | 承吉 | ||||||||
| Literal meaning | (courtesy name) | ||||||||
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Zhang Hu (born around 792 – died around 853) was a famous Chinese poet from the Tang dynasty. His special name, called a courtesy name, was Chengji.
Zhang Hu spent much of his life traveling across China. He visited many beautiful places and wrote poems about them. He also wrote about important historical events.
Zhang Hu's Life Story
Zhang Hu was born around the year 792. He might have been born in Qinghe (which is now in Hebei or Shandong) or in Nanyang (in Henan).
He was very active as a poet between the years 820 and 845. At one point, he was invited to the capital city, Chang'an. A powerful person named Linghu Chu suggested Zhang Hu for a job at the royal court. Linghu Chu even sent 300 of Zhang Hu's poems to show his talent.
However, Zhang Hu did not get the job. Another important person, Yuan Zhen, thought Zhang Hu was not good enough. So, Zhang Hu left the capital. He then moved to a place called Huainan.
In Huainan, Zhang Hu spent his time exploring. He visited many famous temples and beautiful natural spots. He focused all his energy on writing poetry. Later in his life, Zhang Hu moved to Danyang (in modern Jiangsu). He lived there as a private citizen, continuing his passion for poetry. He likely passed away around 852 or 853.
Zhang Hu's Poetry
About 350 of Zhang Hu's poems are still around today. Most of these poems are about the famous temples and beautiful places he saw during his travels. He often wrote short poems, called quatrains, about historical events.
There is a collection of his poems called Zhang Chushi Shiji. This means "Collection of Poems by Retired Scholar Zhang."
Famous Poems by Zhang Hu
Zhang Hu wrote several poems about Emperor Xuanzong's time. One well-known poem talks about the emperor's relationship with a sister of Yang Guifei, a famous concubine.
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Another one of Zhang Hu's famous poems is called "Jinshan-si." This means "Jinshan Temple" or "Golden Mountain Temple."
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Five of Zhang Hu's poems were chosen to be part of a very important collection. This collection is called the Three Hundred Tang Poems. It is one of the most famous collections of Chinese poetry.
