When Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, first founded the Han dynasty, the nation was so impoverished that finding four matching horses for his carriage was a struggle, so both ruler and ministers practiced strict frugality. By the time of Emperor Wu, after generations of diligent governance, the empire had grown powerful, the economy prosperous, and the people wealthy—yet the rulers' lives had become increasingly extravagant and decadent.
Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty expanded the Qin-era Shanglin Garden into a massive hunting preserve, stretching 300 li with 70 palaces and room for a thousand chariots and ten thousand riders, teeming with animals and lush vegetation at immense human and financial cost.
During the Han Dynasty, the renowned literary figure Sima Xiangru composed "Rhapsody on the Imperial Park," inventing three characters—Master Zixu, Master Wuyou, and Master Wangshigong—to critique the boastful rivalry between the states of Chu and Qi over their wealth. Through Wangshigong's voice, the rhapsody vividly describes the splendor of the emperor's hunting grounds, culminating in the emperor's self-reflection on the importance of benevolent governance, thus delivering a subtle admonition. The writing employs ornate language and exaggerated descriptions to achieve its effect.
The Shanglin Imperial Park was so vast that its eastern edge reached Cangwu Mountain, its western border touched the state of Bin, and while the southern part enjoyed warm weather, the north remained bitterly cold. In deep winter, the south still saw lush vegetation and unfrozen waters rippling; in high summer, the north was so frigid that dripping water turned to ice and the ground cracked open. The sheer scale of the park was evident from these extremes.
Looking at the Shanglin Park's rivers, one could see eight waterways racing back and forth, intertwining and alternating. They wound through mountains, along shores, through forests, and across vast plains, visible everywhere. The currents were swift, the waves surged, twisting and turning in dramatic cascades.
When describing rare and exotic birds and beasts, the text covers everything that flies in the sky, swims in the water, and runs on the land.
Lush trees and fragrant flowers blanketed the land, with riverside grasses so tall they nearly covered the water. The endless forest rose and fell like rolling mountains. Strange, sweet-smelling herbs spread across plains and marshes, blending into the blue sky. The grass swayed and bent with the wind, like waves on a vast ocean.
The idiom "Wang Feng Pi Mi" describes grass and trees bending with the wind
Source: Sima Xiangru (Han Dynasty), *Rhapsody on the Shanglin Park*
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "望风披靡" came to describe grass and trees bending with the wind.