Su Shi（苏轼）Talked About Writing and Bamboo

Su Shi of the Sung Dynasty, also known as "Su Dongpo"（苏东坡）, was one 1 of the greatest writers and poets in Chinese history.  He is like Shakespeare in of the West and or Tagore in of India. He have been greatly influencing The progress of The level of Chinese literature went up a few notches due to his influence. In additon, 2He was also an accomplished calligrapher.   and one of His calligraphy incised in an inscription called of calligraphies,  "The Cool Food Festival3 Paper"（寒食帖）, was called is known as  "the third running script in the world". 4

Su Shi rose to fame swiftly after a the imperial competitive examinations when he was only nineteen years old. His articles and poems were used as teaching materials and to be read by all Chinese students since the Sung Dynasty which he lived in. His literary achievements was were so successful that everyone in China 5 Chinese, even if he is a illiteracy an illiterate, could memorizing quote some of his sayings with ease easily.

Su Shi favored bamboo very much, he once remarked: "Rather to go meatless than is to live without bamboo" ("宁可食无肉，不可居无竹"). It means that he would rather eat no meat than occupy without bamboo. Deeply affected by him, since then, Chinese people were are fond of planting bamboo outside their homes 6 houses since then.

I love his He comment on writing: "Walk when it is necessary to do so.  Stop when it is not possible to continue." ("常行于所当行，常止于所不可不止"), meaning a written article should be no more or less than necessary. This means that an article should continue to write if necessary and stop decisively if not necessary.

I thank you from the cockles of my heart.  Again I learn something new from you just by correction.  This essay, except for minor technical and grammatical errors, is once more smoother and more natural unlike your previous one.  Either it was a swift kick to your butt or that you had found your Muse again.  So the flower has turned red again.  Good work.

1.  This is highly debatable.  Others will say it's Li Po of the T'ang Dynasty.  So don't write such controversial sentences.  However if you prefixed it as, "In my opinion, he was the greatest...." is perfectly okay because it is your opinion.  Such disclaimers are standard and makes your writing more personable.

2.  "In addition" means "also".  Since you have also, this is redundant.  I prefer "also" than "in addition" - too long and sounds too technical.

3.  You need to explain what the term "Cold Food".  Most people including myself does not know what it is.  It's the practice of abstaining from eating any cooked food during the 3 days prior to Ching Ming (清明) Festival where traditional Chinese goes to their ancestral tombs for cleaning etc...  akin to the Obon Festival of Japan and Labor Day in the US.

4.  It would be better if you can give the other two.

5.  Chinese is too general a term to be used here.  Not all Chinese outside the Mainland, Taiwan or Hong Kong and perhaps to a certain extent in Malaysia, may this be valid.  It would be also be accurate to use, "All Chinese students" or "Students studying Chinese literature", etc.

6.  A house is a building.  A home is an emotional attachment to the place where you live.  "A house is not  a home and a home need not be a house".  Compare this to "lonely" and "alone".  Same difference.