Huang Tingjian's Years in Exile in Pengshui County

Huang Tingjian is demoted for opposing Wang Anshi’s reforms at court and sent to the scenic county of Pengshui, where he spends four peaceful years. He finds solace in the mountains and rivers and mingles with the common folk. His landscape poetry conceals profound philosophical insights, and he creates calligraphy in endlessly varied styles. His long journeys and experiences among the people give rise to his belief that the people matter more than the ruler.