A Chinese Biographical Dictionary/Chang Han (張翰)

by Herbert A. Giles

54Chang Han 張翰 (T. 李鷹). 3rd cent. A.D. A poet under the Chin dynasty, who took office with Prince 冏 Ching of Ch'i, but resigned because he could not do without the salad and fish of 松江 Sung-chiang in Kiangsu. As the Ch'i State soon afterwards came to grief, people attributed his secession to foresight. He was a wild harum-scarum fellow in his youth, and was nicknamed 江東步兵. He professed to despise all worldly honours, and said that he would rather have one cup of wine during life than any amount of fame after it. He was however a model of filial piety, and found time to write essays and poems which were highly esteemed in his day.