A Textual Study of the "Qingchun Youxian" ("Youth Is Finite") Stele Associated with the Hakka Wit Liao Kunyu: With a Discussion of Its Cultural Resonance with the "Fengyue Wubian" ("Boundless Wind and Moon") Stone Inscription on Mount Tai

Abstract

Liao Kunyu is a widely known folk figure celebrated for his wit and literary talent in the Hakka region of eastern Guangdong. Renowned for his humor, quick wit, and ingenuity, stories and popular narratives about him continue to circulate throughout the Dongjiang River basin and various parts of Meizhou. For generations, a distinctive stone inscription in Ouwu Village, Huangcun Town, Dongyuan County, Heyuan City, has been associated in local tradition with Liao Kunyu. The stone bears only the two large Chinese characters qing (青) and chun (春), each enclosed within a circle, creating an enigmatic inscription that appears at once textual and pictorial. It has traditionally been interpreted as Qingchun Youxian (青春有限), literally “Youth Is Finite.” In both form and implied meaning, this stele presents a striking north–south cultural correspondence with the famous “Chong Er” (虫二) stone inscription on Mount Tai, the sacred Eastern Mountain located more than a thousand kilometers away, which is conventionally understood as an ingenious graphic representation of Fengyue Wubian (风月无边), or “Boundless Wind and Moon.” The latter conveys the idea of “boundlessness” by removing the enclosing components of the Chinese characters, whereas the former conveys “limitation” by adding circular boundaries around the characters. Both represent highly ingenious forms of Chinese-character wordplay. Drawing on local gazetteers, oral traditions, and field investigation, this study examines Liao Kunyu’s life, associated legends, and his relationship with the “Qingchun Youxian” stele. It further traces the cultural origins and transmission of the two celebrated textual enigmas, “Qingchun Youxian” and “Fengyue Wubian,” revealing their underlying intertextual connections and philosophical implications. The study also provides an academic basis for exploring their contemporary value in the integrated development of culture and tourism.