Wu Fugu

Wu Fugu

Wu fugu, also known as Wu ziye, was born in Yuzhou Township, Pengzhou, Haiyang county (now Yanling neighborhood committee, Yuzhou Township, Longhu District, Shantou City). His father, Wu Zongtong, was a royal professor. Due to the death of his parents, he returned to Jieyang nanchaojielu for three years and set up an accounting apprentice. Later, he left home to build Yuanyou nunnery in Matian mountain of Chaoyang County (now belonging to Chaoyang City). He traveled all over the world and made friends with scholars, especially Su Dongpo brothers. He often discussed the theories of Zhuangzi and Laozi together. Su Dongpo wrote yuan you an Ming for him and presented several poems to him. He heard that Su Dongpo had met with an amnesty officer and wanted to meet him. When he arrived at Qingyuan gorge, he died of illness and was buried in Matian, Chaoyang County. Su Dongpo made a sacrifice for him, saying that he was "anxious for others to relieve himself, forgetting his thirst and hunger, taking the road as his home, but returning home.".

Wu fugu, ziye, Yuanyou. He was born in 1004, the first year of Jingde, Zhenzong, and died in 1101, the first year of Jingguo, Jianzhong, Huizong. Yanling neighborhood committee, Yuzhou Township, Longhu District, Shantou City (Pengzhou capital of Haiyang county at that time, Jieyang county had not been restored to Shaoxing in Southern Song Dynasty 10 years ago).

His father, Wu Zongtong, was once an official of Hanlin and lived in Chaozhou. Wu Fugu was a smart young man who was chivalrous and righteous. He was recommended as Xiaolian for his erudition and talent and mastery of classics. During the reign of emperor Shenzong of the Song Dynasty, he was appointed as a professor of the imperial palace. He was rigorous in his studies. Although he was upright in his official career, he was highly valued by Sima Guang and Han Qi. Su Dongpo, a bachelor, made a close friend with him. Because of Wu's aversion to the intrigue in the palace and his indifference to official career, he soon retired with filial piety.

When Wu Fugu returned to Chaozhou, he said to his wife, "it's not my business in the yellow dust, it's my home deep in the white clouds." After leaving his wife and children, he went to Datian mountain, zhipudu (now zaopu town) of Chaoyang County to build an nunnery and set up the Sui Han hall as a place to study and nourish his nature.

In 1069 A.D., Wu Fugu visited Dengzhou, got 12 rare stones in Beihai and brought them back to Matian mountain. At that time, Su Dongpo was demoted to the south of the Yangtze River. Wu did not avoid returning to the ancients and wrote to him frequently. Later, in order to serve his parents, Wu went back to Chaozhou to repair the garden pavilion and raise his children. After Wu Zongtong's death, he was buried not far from Matian mountain. Wu Fugu led his family to settle in nanchaohoucuo, Jieyang county. Because it was separated from the river of Matian mountain, it was convenient to guard the tomb. After that, Wu Fugu went out again.

In the third year of Yuanfu (1100 A.D.), Wu Fugu went from Panyu to Qingyuan and died of moderate illness. He was 96 years old. His wife and son rushed to the provincial government, helped the coffin and buried it at the side of Yuanyou nunnery in Matian mountain. When Su Dongpo heard of the news in Zhenzhou, he wrote a Book of offering sacrifices to his son. He called Wu's restoration to the ancients "anxious for others to ease their own thirst and hunger, making the road their home, but justice is the way to return, and the old man who died is good at doing things is not self contradictory". He spoke highly of Wu's noble life.