Roll, ink on paper
On July 16, 1082, Su Shih (1037–1101) and his friends sailed to Red Cliffs outside Huangzhou (modern-day Huanggang, Hubei). Inspired by the Battle of Red Cliffs from over 800 years prior, he composed Former Ode on the Red Cliff, expressing his reflections on the universe and life. In October of the same year, he revisited the site and composed Latter Ode on the Red Cliff. These masterpieces, timeless in their brilliance, brought Su immense pride, though he hesitated to share them casually, leaving him with a sense of frustration. The following year, Fu Yaoyu (1024–1091), residing far away in Mingzhou (modern-day Ningbo, Zhejiang), sent someone on an 800-kilometer journey to Huangzhou to visit Su and requested to read his new works. As a true confidant, Fu’s admiration compelled Su to pen this ink inscription.