A Letter to Commissioner Li

Green mountains hidden in distant waters, Autumn ends south of the Yangtze, grass not yet withered. The bright moon of the twenty-four bridges, Where does the beautiful one teach flute-playing now?

Green hills veiled in distant river mist, South of the Yangtze, autumn grass stays green. Twenty-four bridges bathed in bright moonlight— Where does she teach her flute beneath the moon?

Du Mu wrote this to a friend in Yangzhou, expressing nostalgia for the city's beauty and culture. Yangzhou was famous for its prosperity, gardens, and refined lifestyle during the Tang Dynasty. The poem captures the essence of Jiangnan (south of the Yangtze) culture—gentle, elegant, and sophisticated. The reference to a woman teaching flute embodies the city's artistic atmosphere and the poet's longing for past pleasures.