Chinese poet Li Bai or Li Po, who lived in the 8th century, is considered one of the greatest poets of China. He lived during the Tang dynasty which is considered the golden age for art in China. Li Bai grew up reading Chinese classics, riding and fencing. In his mid-twenties, he started wandering in various parts of China. This was to become a typical way of existence for him where he would live like a nomad and write poetry. For a brief while, he spent time at the emperor’s court where he worked as a translator and poet. He was usually inebriated which was not seen as a vice in China in those times. It was rather a means to find inspiration and Li Bai, it is said, wrote some of his most evocative poetry while being completely drunk. Li Bai’s poetry is an integral part of Chinese culture. Children grow up learning his poems even today. His influence has continued in the modern age and has found its way into western culture as is seen in the works of Ezra Pound and Gustav Mahler. The timelessness of his writings is evident from the fact that the heavy metal Chinese band ‘Tang Dynasty’ takes inspiration from his works.