明代仇英的《清明上河图》在香港艺术馆展出，展示了繁华都市苏州城乡的景象。袁宏道是文学史上的重要人物，以“独抒性灵”的“性灵说”闻名。他不仅擅长山水游记，更以尺牍著称。袁宏道个性独立，不愿做官，一有机会便辞职，浪迹天涯，写下了许多优美的游记。在接到家兄之邀后，他不得不放弃游历，再次回到京城任官。但他 soon felt suffocated by the bureaucracy and returned to his hometown in Hubei, where he eventually passed away.
Rao Yuanhong served as a county magistrate after becoming a jinshi, but he was more excited about the natural scenery of Wu County than his official duties. He wrote to a friend: "I have arrived in Wu County. If I am appointed here, there will be long lakes and a benevolent ruler like Dongting Lake; there will be someone who knows how to host wine and tea." He was clearly eager to experience the beauty of Wu County's landscape.
However, Rao Yuanhong soon realized that being an official was not as pleasant as enjoying nature. In one letter, he lamented: "As an official, I am bound by rules; I do not know what kind of situation awaits me behind my back. Let me report this beforehand."
In another letter addressed to Yang Anfu, Rao Yuanhong described his hardships as an official: "I am so thin from hard work; busy day and night with no rest for my knees or waist... Who is suffering more - officials or ordinary people?"
Rao Yuanhong had a refined literary talent that made him uncomfortable with the hierarchical structure of government life. In multiple letters, he expressed his disdain for the protocol-bound world: "The atmosphere is hazy like wind shadows; visitors accumulate like mosquitoes; officials are respected like yamen clerks." He also wrote about how officials were treated with deference akin to raindrops.
Despite being aware of these realities, Rao Yuanhong advocated for following one's heart and pursuing personal freedom. As he put it in one letter: "A man should follow his own path... To throw away your hat on stage actors or change your robe into skirts is all right if you can recognize this intention!"
Ultimately, Rao Hongdao achieved this goal by twice quitting public office to return home where he could live freely without any constraints - something reflected in many passages throughout his letters known as '尺牍'.
标签： 大明 一览表 、 历史朝代图一览表 、 明朝 顺序及年号 、 宋代背景资料 、 明朝本来有600年国运
