Li K'an (1245-1320): The Poet Painter of Bamboo Li K’an, also known as li kan, stands as a beacon of artistic achievement during the Yuan Dynasty (1271–1368), a period marked by cultural dynamism and Mongol rule in China. Born around 1245 in Jiqu County, present-day Beijing—a region steeped in Taoist tradition—Li K’an's life was interwoven with both imperial service and profound engagement with the natural world, experiences that inde…