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The authentic life: Li Ronghao and Li Bai

14 3
12.01.2025

Courtesy of Felix Fuchs

In Li Ronghao’s song "Li Bai," we are presented with a satirical portrayal of an artist. The one who believes themselves a misunderstood genius, harboring disdain for the common unrefined ways of the masses. The type of person you meet easily online. So while the song critiques modern pretentiousness and self-delusion, beneath the satire lies a broader reflection on the struggles of contemporary life, where societal expectations and personal identity often clash. This is the struggle of young people today, in China, in Korea, and many other parts of the world. That it can be expressed so wonderfully in a pop-rock song is testament to the continued importance of art, irrespective of how many views or commercial success it achieves.

The influence

Li Bai is generally known as the "Immortal Poet," famous for his flamboyant personality and love of wine. He cultivated an image of a wandering, free-spirited artist, often rejecting societal conventions, and blending moments of intoxicated joy with reflections on the impermanence of life. His disdain for court politics and his eccentric behavior limited his political success but he cared not, focusing instead on a Taoist way of life surrounded by nature, mountains, and, in particular, his favorite drinking partner: the moon. Even his death comes to us in a romantic fashion: According to one story, he drowned while attempting to embrace the moon’s reflection in a river, a fitting end!

What’s most interesting to me about Li Bai is that if I speak to a young Chinese person, they will often be able to recite some of his work. In particular, “Thinking on a Quiet Night” normally rolls off the tongue of most as easily as their VPN-accessed Insta accounts. That particular work goes like this: “The moon is bright before my bed. Making the ground look white like frost. I raise my head and look........

© The Korea Times