The cake is linked to the famous poet of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127) Su Dongpo. In 1080, the poet was sent to live in exile in Huangzhou, and he often went to the West Mountain. One day, the monks of the Lingquan temple on the mountain made a cake to welcome the poet. Delighted with her delicious taste, Su Dongpo painted a cake on the spot and wrote her nickname. Since then, the cake has been called Dongpo.