[1]Name and disputed datesThe person is identified as Gu Kuang, but the sources give several different dates: 727–816, 727–815, circa 727–820, and 725–814.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The main person record gives the name Gu Kuang and the dates 727 and 816.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The profile and biographical entries give 727–816, circa 727–820, and 727–815 in different formulations, all for Gu Kuang.
WikidataGu Kuang (Q11665204)The entity is labeled Gu Kuang, while its date claims give 725 and 814.
[2]Identity and artistic accomplishmentGu Kuang was a Tang-dynasty poet and man of letters, and he was also known as a painter of landscapes.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The person record identifies the dynasty as Tang and lists painter, poet, man of letters, and skill in prose.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographical entries identify him as a Tang poet and describe his skill in poetry and landscape painting.
[3]Style names and rankGu Kuang’s zi was Buweng; he used Huayang Shanren and later Bei Weng, and his family rank was twelve.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The alternate-name data gives Huayang Shanren, Buweng, and Gu Shier, identifying Buweng as the zi and Gu Shier as the rank name.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The profile and biographies list Buweng, Huayang Shanren, Bei Weng, and the rank twelve.
WikidataGu Kuang (Q11665204)The names data supplies the English forms Buweng and Huayang shanren.
[4]Disputed native placeHis native place is variously given as Haiyan in Suzhou, Yunyang, or Suzhou more generally, with the corresponding modern locations in Zhejiang and Jiangsu.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The profile gives Suzhou, while the biographical entries give Haiyan in Suzhou, Yunyang, and Suzhou with their modern locations.
[5]Presented-scholar examinationGu Kuang passed the presented-scholar examination in the second year of the Zhide era, 757.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The examination entry records the presented-scholar qualification without a specific rank.
Souyun顧況 (21659)Several biographies state that he passed in the second year of Zhide, with one explicitly giving 757.
[6]Early officesHe sought the administration of Xinting Monitorate, served under the Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner, worked around Yongjia in 773 and 774, visited Jiangxi in the tenth year of Dali, and handled salt business at Wenzhou during the Dali era.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies detail the Xinting Monitorate, its location at Yanguan/Haiyan, the Salt and Iron Transport Commissioner’s office, activity around Yongjia, the visit to Jiangxi, and salt business at Wenzhou.
[7]Salt and commercial-tax officeHis offices also included the supervision of salt, wine, and commercial taxation in Hangzhou and Wenzhou.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The office data gives the same salt, wine, and commercial-tax supervision post at Hangzhou and Wenzhou.
[8]Military staff and court officesGu Kuang served in Han Huang’s staff from 781 to 786, then held a judicial office at court; the biographical material also lists the governorship of Runzhou.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies describe his service in Han Huang’s staff from 781 to 786, his post at the Court of Judicial Review, and the office of governor of Runzhou.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The office and association data list the judge post, Dali judicial office, the Jianzhong era, and Han Huang.
[9]Collator and court writerThe sources differ between palace-library collator and Secretary Lang, and between court writer and Assistant Writer; the office data dates the latter appointment to 788.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies give the recommendation by Liu Hun as palace-library collator or Secretary Lang and the later promotion under Li Mi as court writer or Assistant Writer.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The office data lists Secretary Lang in 787 and the Secretariat Assistant Writer in 788.
[10]Association with Li Mi and Liu HunGu Kuang was associated with Li Mi and Liu Hun, with the material especially emphasizing his closeness to Li Mi.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies describe Gu as close to Li Mi and as having dealings with both Li Mi and Liu Hun.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The association data lists Liu Hun and Li Mi with the exchange of poems and prose.
[11]Study under Li MiGu Kuang studied under Li Mi and received from him a method of breath cultivation.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The introductory biography explicitly says that Gu studied under Li Mi and learned his method of breath cultivation.
[12]Demotion to RaozhouAfter Li Mi’s death, Gu Kuang wrote the Seagull poem to mock the powerful, was opposed and impeached, and was demoted to the Raozhou household-administration post in 789.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies connect Li Mi’s death with the Seagull poem, describe Gu’s unpopularity and impeachment, and give the 789 demotion to Raozhou.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The office data gives the 789 Raozhou post of Zhou Sihu Canjun Shi.
[13]Retirement and travelsAfter his demotion, Gu Kuang moved with his family to Mount Mao, adopted the name Huayang Shanren, exchanged poetry with local officials, returned to Suzhou in the tenth year of Zhenyuan, and traveled widely in Jiangnan.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies describe the family’s departure, seclusion at Mount Mao, the route and poetic exchanges, the return to Suzhou in the tenth year of Zhenyuan, and later Jiangnan travel.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The association data also names Fang Rufu, Wei Yingwu, and Liu Taizhen.
[14]Family relationshipsGu Feixiong was Gu Kuang’s son and died in 854; Liu Taizhen was his maternal aunt’s son, born in 725 and dying in 792; Gu Mingjun and Gu Youzhong are listed as lineal descendants.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The kinship data identifies Gu Feixiong as son and gives his death in 854, identifies Gu Mingjun and Gu Youzhong as lineal descendants, and identifies Liu Taizhen as a maternal aunt’s son born in 725 and dead in 792.
[15]Poetic theory and paintingGu Kuang was skilled in poetry, landscape painting, and prose, and held that poetry should address order, disorder, and royal transformation rather than merely seek ornate diction.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The status data lists painter, poet, and skill in prose.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies describe his poetry and landscape painting and state his view that poetry engages order, disorder, and royal transformation rather than mere ornament.
[16]Supplementing the Missing and poetic styleThe Thirteen Chapters on Supplementing and Transmitting the Ancient Songs was treated as a precursor to Bai Juyi’s New Yuefu, while Gu’s songs were characterized by unusual, vigorous, and startling expression.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The critical biography calls the thirteen chapters a precursor of Bai Juyi’s New Yuefu and describes the poetry as strange, vigorous, and unexpectedly striking.
[17]Divergent critical receptionCritical assessments range from praise for Gu Kuang’s superiority to Yuan and Bai and his High-Tang force to criticism of his talent, elegance, diction, and formal discipline.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The critical passages praise Gu’s relation to Yuan and Bai, High-Tang force, and the unusual interest of his songs, but also criticize his talent, elegance, diction, and formal status.
[18]Bai Juyi’s visitBai Juyi visited Gu Kuang as a teenager with a manuscript; Gu read it, received him at the gate, and praised the recovery of serious literature in Bai.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The association text describes Bai Juyi’s teenage visit with a manuscript, Gu’s reception at the gate, and Gu’s words of praise.
[19]Influence on Bai’s New YuefuGu Kuang’s Supplementing the Missing poems were regarded as a precursor of Bai Juyi’s New Yuefu; a poet-ranking scheme placed Bai as Master of Broad Moral Instruction and Gu in the ascending-hall rank.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographical discussion calls the Supplementing the Missing poems a precursor to Bai’s New Yuefu and gives the two poet-ranking designations.
[20]Collections and painting treatiseGu Kuang’s works include Huayang ji, Gu Kuang ji, and Huaping; the Ming edition, the lost twenty-volume collection, the later three-volume compilation, and the four-volume Gu Buweng shiji are all specified in the material.
CBDBGu Kuang (94240)The work list contains Huaping, Huayang ji, and Gu Kuang ji.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographies give the Ming edition’s contents, the loss of the twenty-volume Gu Kuang ji, the later three-volume Gu Huayang ji, and the four-volume Gu Buweng shiji.
[21]Surviving and reconstructed worksHuaping is lost; four volumes of Gu’s verse survive in the Complete Tang Poems, later supplements add four poems and two fragments, the Complete Tang Prose preserves three volumes, and later scholarship includes lyrics and a modern annotation.
Souyun顧況 (21659)The biographical entries state that Huaping was lost, count the poems and fragments preserved or supplemented, count the prose, mention Zhu Zhi lyrics, and name the Gu Kuang annotation.