Sandy Chan
Chief Executive Officer

The famous tale "Wang Anshi Thrice Baffles Scholar Su" from Comprehensive Stories to Admonish the World, compiled and edited by Ming Dynasty writer Feng Menglong, provides rich anecdotes that are worth savouring.

A Song Dynasty prime minister Wang Anshi once wrote the following verse: "The westerly wind visited the garden last night, and the ground is littered with gold from the scattered chrysanthemums." However, poet Su Dongpo thought chrysanthemum petals could never be blown down in this way and wrote another poem ridiculing Wang. Some time later, after Wang had pulled some strings, the government assigned Su to Huangzhou. One day, Su saw that the chrysanthemum petals in Huangzhou did indeed fall as Wang had described. Suddenly, he realised Wang's verse had been right and he felt very ashamed.

This shows even a scholar and a wit such as Su could be subject to errors of judgement. The trip to Huangzhou widened his horizons. It is equally important today that people keep an open mind and heart, and search for the truth.

Thus, the Authority's Continuing Professional Development Scheme has set out to encourage practitioners to aspire to excellence and to "seek renewal each and every day", providing a diverse range of courses to meet practitioners' different needs. With the world constantly changing, staying in touch with new developments and acquiring fresh knowledge are great ways of self-improvement.

On another occasion, Wang asked Su to bring some water from the middle gorge of the Yangtze River's Three Gorges, but as it happened Su was asleep when he passed through this gorge. Instead, Su brought back water from the lower gorge and claimed it came from the middle one. Wang, however, realized the truth from the colour of the tea made from the water and brought the matter to Su's attention.

Later, Wang Anshi sought to test Su's literary talent. Faced with completing Wang's opening lines for three couplets, "One year has two Springs and double August, so people enjoy two Springs and Autumns", "The mountain pool is seven li, and it is three and a half li when you reach the mid-point of the pool", "To the west of Tieweng City is a land of three fortunes, with a Gold Hill, Jade Hill and Silver Hill", Su thought long and hard but was unable to finish them. He apologised and excused himself.

In these ways, Wang Anshi set certain standards for Su Dongpo and advised him when he failed to meet them. In the Authority's case, although practitioners are not required to take any further examinations after gaining their licences, we still hope they will continue to learn and to improve themselves in the long-term interests of the trade and to enhance its reputation. A gate-keeping role is not an easy one and the Authority needs your understanding and support.

Editor's note: Readers are welcome to create lines to complete Wang Anshi's couplets. Please send entries to the Editor, Horizons, at the Authority. Prizes will be awarded for outstanding work.

* Adapted from Da Xue, Chapter II: "Inscription on Tang's tray: Seeking renewal every day and day after day."

Ms Sandy Chan, the Chief Executive Officer thanked Mr Eric Pun, outgoing Director of Operations & Legal Affairs for his contribution to the EAA.