Dou Ping is an author about whom little is publicly known: neither his dates, nor his native place or nationality have been clearly recorded, and only one work, Jiu Pu (A Treatise on Wine), survives under his name. Judging from the available evidence, Jiu Pu is classified under Eastern philosophy, which suggests that the book is not merely a record of brewing techniques or tasting experience, but more likely uses wine—an ordinary thing in daily life—as a starting point for reflection on human life, the ways of the world, and human nature, giving it the character of a traditional philosophical essay. In ancient China, works titled pu (treatise or register) often combined the gathering of earlier records with the expression of the author's own views; while collecting material related to wine, the writer frequently used the subject as an occasion for discussion, linking matters of food and drink to self-cultivation and conduct in life. Dou Ping's style probably follows this path: beginning from concrete things, plain in language yet carrying deeper meaning, so that readers encounter philosophical ideas while learning about wine culture. Because of limited sources, his friendships, teachers, and sphere of influence are difficult to examine in detail, but Jiu Pu, as his extant representative work, remains the main basis for understanding this author's thought.
