The “seven sages of the bamboo grove” 竹林七贤 were Ji Kang 嵇康, Ruan Ji 阮籍, Shan Tao 山涛, Xiang Xiu 向秀, Liu Ling 刘伶, Wang Rong 王戎 and Ruan Xian 阮咸.
In the Weizheng period (240-249) they often met together in a bamboo grove in Shanyang county 山阳县, Henan province, in the region of present-day Hui county 辉县 and Xiuwu 修武. There they gathered to read poetry, play music, discuss philosophy and drink wine with abandon.