萍水相逢 — “A chance encounter between strangers”

Wang Bo, courtesy name Zian, was a renowned literary figure of the early Tang Dynasty. He displayed extraordinary talent from a young age, capable of writing excellent prose at six and composing poems extemporaneously by fourteen. Along with Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin, and Luo Binwang, he was celebrated for his literary prowess and collectively known as the "Four Literary Giants of Early Tang." He passed the imperial examination at fifteen and once served as a参军 (military advisor) before being dismissed from office due to an offense.

In 676 AD, Wang Bo embarked on a journey to Jiaozhi (present-day Vietnam) to visit his father, who served as a county magistrate there. Along the way, he passed through Hongdu (modern-day Nanchang, Jiangxi). The local governor, Yan Boyu, had just completed the renovation of Tengwang Pavilion and decided to host a grand banquet on the Double Ninth Festival (the ninth day of the ninth lunar month) to entertain scholars and guests.

Yan Boyu's son-in-law, Wu Zizhang, was a talented writer, and Yan had asked him to prepare a preface beforehand, intending to showcase his abilities at the gathering. Wang Bo, a celebrated writer of his time, was also among the invited guests.

During the banquet, Yan Boyu feigned modesty and invited the guests to compose a preface for Tengwang Pavilion. Most guests, unprepared, politely declined. However, when Wang Bo was asked, he did not refuse. He immediately took up his brush and, in a single flow, penned the famous "Preface to Tengwang Pavilion." All the guests present lauded his work. Yan Boyu, after reading it, was deeply impressed, acknowledging that this preface far surpassed his son-in-law's composition, and consequently, Wu Zizhang was not asked to present his work.

The "Preface to Tengwang Pavilion" was exquisitely conceived, with a smooth and expansive literary flow, yet intricate in its structure. While depicting the magnificent scenery and grand occasion, Wang Bo also subtly revealed his own feelings of unfulfilled ambitions, stating: "关山难越，谁悲失路之人？萍水相逢，尽是他乡之客。" These lines convey: "Difficult it is to cross mountains and passes; who mourns for those who have lost their way? We meet by chance like floating duckweed, all of us strangers in a foreign land." Through these words, he expressed his sentiment of being born at an inopportune time and lamented his unfortunate destiny.

Shortly thereafter, Wang Bo departed from Hongdu for Jiaozhi. Sadly, he met his untimely demise in a sea accident during his journey, at the young age of twenty-six.