Su Shi was born in Meishan, Meizhou, on December 19, 1037, the third year of the Jingyou reign of Emperor Renzong of the Song Dynasty, after Su Weiwei, a minister of the early Tang Dynasty.

Su Shi was relegated to Meishan, Sichuan Province (present-day Meishan City, Sichuan Province) as an assassin in the early years of the Shenlong reign. Soon died of illness, and then returned to his hometown of Luan City, leaving a son in the eyebrow, is the founder of the Sichuan Meishan Su. To the Song Dynasty, Su flavor to stay in Sichuan children and grandchildren appeared in the famous literary Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe father and son, that is, the famous "three Su". Su Shi was the eleventh grandson of Su Shi. Su Shi's grandfather was Su Xu, cousin Zhongxian, grandmother Shi.

Su Shi's father, Su Xun, the "Three Character Classic" mentioned in the "twenty-seven, the beginning of the hard work," the "Su Laoquan". Although Su Xun late, but very hard. Su Shi's name "Shi" originally meant the handrail in front of the car, taking the meaning of his obscurity but help to rescue the poor and indispensable. Su Shi was an open-minded and honest person, and he was a Taoist by nature. Good friends, good food, to create a lot of food products, good tea, but also elegant and good tour of the mountains.