[Poem] SECOND VISIT TO THE XUANDU TEMPLE - Revisiting the Past in Changing Times

In “Second Visit to the Xuandu Temple,” Liu Yuxi contrasts memories of a lush, flower-filled garden with its later transformation. When he first visited, peach blossoms and the Taoist caretaker represented vitality and the promise of spring. Upon his return, the courtyard is half-consumed by moss, and the vibrant peach blossoms have given way to rapeseed flowers.

In these four lines, the poet suggests that all things—splendor, place, people—are subject to impermanence. The Taoist who cultivated peach trees has seemingly vanished, hinting that even those who once nurtured growth may no longer be around to protect and care for it. Meanwhile, new blooms have emerged, underscoring nature’s capacity for continuous renewal even when past glories recede into memory.

By referring to himself as “the Liu who came before,” Liu Yuxi positions himself as a witness to these sweeping changes. Much like the shifting garden, he, too, has been altered by life’s vicissitudes. His renewed visit symbolizes an attempt to reconcile memories of past joys with the reality of the present.

Although the poem is concise, it evokes a profound reflection on transformation, time, and human attachment. Liu Yuxi’s personal history of exile and political ups and downs resonates in these lines; having experienced displacement, he acknowledges that places and people change, yet the human drive to revisit and remember endures. Ultimately, the poem reminds us that while nothing remains static, each return—however different—can offer a renewed sense of wonder and insight into life’s perpetual motion.