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Full-Text Articles in Chinese Studies
The Motivation And Practice Of The Rise Of Classical Aesthetics Research In The 20th Century's China, Wei Han
The Motivation And Practice Of The Rise Of Classical Aesthetics Research In The 20th Century's China, Wei Han
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Chinese classical aesthetics research began in the 1980s, in an effort to establish the discipline of Chinese aesthetics under the complicated historical context. It was spurred by both the trend of cultural root-seeking against the background of enlightenment modernity and the pursuit of discourse power. In practice, studies on Wang Guowei and Zong Baihua formed the earliest mode of research, which in turn displayed the charm of ancient Chinese aesthetics. The studies had also constituted a potential model for and established a foundation stone for the classical aesthetics research in the years that followed.
Revolution And Transcendence: The Aesthetic Transformation In The "New Novel" In The Late Qing Dynasty, Jun Zhu
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The rise of the "New Novel" started the "revolution in the circle of fiction writing" in the late Qing Dynasty. In literary history, the New Novels have not been done justice for the traditional ethics shown in these works were in contradictory with the modern political system. However, it is undeniable that these works had left rather deep influence on Chinese ideology, politics and culture in the 20th century. From Kang Youwei to Liang Qichao, Chinese literature had witnessed a historical process from external transcendence (triggered by the import of exotic political and scientific culture) to immanent transcendence (aroused by …
The Implication Of History-In-Poetry And The Reception Of Li Shangyin In The Late Qing-Dynasty Poetry Circle, Weizhong Ma, Chen Li
The Implication Of History-In-Poetry And The Reception Of Li Shangyin In The Late Qing-Dynasty Poetry Circle, Weizhong Ma, Chen Li
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The debate over emulating the Tang or the Song Dynasty poetry was an important link in the evolution of the Qing-Dynasty poetry, in which the reception of Li Shangyin both pointed a direction for the retro poetics and became in most areas a continuation of territory poetics. The three acceptance models culminated the multi-perspective study of Li Shangyin's poetry. Taking into consideration of the complex social context, the paper claims that the concept of history-in-poetry could become the starting point to investigate the theoretical value of the reception of Li Shangyin in the late Qing-Dynasty poetry circle.
The Landscape Sentiments As The Chinese Symbol And Expression Of An Ecological Art, Guoming Yin
The Landscape Sentiments As The Chinese Symbol And Expression Of An Ecological Art, Guoming Yin
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
In Chinese literature and arts, the sentimens in "shanshui" (mountains and waters, landscape) not only embody an aesthetic pursuit but also form a traditional cultural symbol. The sentiments display the artists’ consciousness of life and manifest the ecological connotation of "man in nature." The preposition of the landscape sentiments as a theoretical categorization may be helpful for the discovery of the universal value and new meaning of Chinese litearay theory in the context of comparative and cross-cultural studies.
On The Modern Transformation Of Ancient Literary Theory, Yun Wang
On The Modern Transformation Of Ancient Literary Theory, Yun Wang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Focusing on the contemporary research of the modern transformation of ancient literary theory in China, the paper intends to expose the implied cultural orientation behind the different ideas of and approaches to the modernization of ancient literary theory. This paper points out that, on the one hand, the approach to the modern transformation take the route from construction in the 1980s to deconstruction in 1990s and that, one the other hand, in terms of methodology, the need for an open system is widely accepted and the discursive power of closed conceptual system is undermined and dissolved. As a result, pluralist …
On Wang Youpu's Criticism On The Ancient-Style Prose And Its Value, Zukun Yu
On Wang Youpu's Criticism On The Ancient-Style Prose And Its Value, Zukun Yu
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Critical practice on the ancient-style prose is an important part of the literary activity of Tongcheng School in the Qing Dynasty, and due research attention should be paid for understanding their prose theory. Wang You-pu (1681-1760) was one key figure in developing the school's prose theory. As a disciple of Fang Bao, the founder of the school, Wang developed Fang's notion of yifa (meaning-method) by expanding on the relationship between meaning (yi) and method (fa). Wang You-pu had also combined Fang's notion of meaning-method with Jin Shengtan's (1608-61) literary critical practice and vision, which not only sharpened his perceptive and …
The Influence Of Hu Yinglin's Shi Sou On Emura Hokkai's History Of Japanese Poetry, Xin Hu, Ming Yan
The Influence Of Hu Yinglin's Shi Sou On Emura Hokkai's History Of Japanese Poetry, Xin Hu, Ming Yan
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
When writing The History of Japanese Poetry, the Mid-Edo Japanese scholar Emura Hokkai (1707-1782) was deeply influenced by Shi Sou (An Anthology of Poetry) compiled by Chinese Ming-Dynasty scholar Hu Yingling's (1551-1602). In compiling method, Emura's History of Japanese Poetry was written in the way that integrated narration of history through poetry commentaries with biographical history. In thematic treatment, Emura developed Hu's concept of "qi yun" (spirit-mores) and proposed the concept of "shi dao" (generation-way), claiming that Hu's concept of "qi yun" was inherited by the Japanese and became the fundamental reason for the Japanese to develop its own poetics …
The Zen Buddhism's Thoughts Of No Difference Between Form And Empty In Dream Of The Red Chamber, Ranran Wang
The Zen Buddhism's Thoughts Of No Difference Between Form And Empty In Dream Of The Red Chamber, Ranran Wang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Zen Buddhism's idea of form-emptiness has often been viewed as "nothing," although form-emptiness means "no distinction between form and emptiness." The great wisdom in this notion is that on the one hand Zen Buddhism views things as dreams so man can't and shouldn't attach to any of things and on the other hand Zen Buddhism realizes that although the insight may help man cleanse of vain and evil thoughts it can remove the good in thoughts such as vitality and creativity, resulting in poverty of the good provided by things. Therefore, Zen Buddhism emphasizes that man should understand meaning of …
An Investigation Of The Late-Tang Poetics Through The Functional Structure Of The Retro Poetic Styles In "Talent And Taste Anthology", Yi'nan Zhang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The retro style in the Tang poetry collection Talent and Taste Anthology (Cai Diao Anthology) mainly refers the imitation of the poetic styles in the ancient Qi and Liang. The retro style showed in the poetic forms of courtly five-character regulated poems (including extended form and Qi-Liang form), music bureau form (including quatrain) and ballad forms. This style has respective functions, with five-character regulated poems focusing on objects, music bureau forms on emotions and ballad forms on both. It may be said that the retro style in the Talent and Taste Anthology had constructed a relatively complete system of functions, …
The Ethics Of Modern Interpretation Of Classical Literary Theory: An Investigation Through Liu Xizai's General Principles Of Art, Zhongyi Xia
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
This paper starts with a discussion of Liu Xizai's General Principles of Art so as to investigate the ethics of modern interpretation of Chinese classical literary theory. The two aims of the paper are to connect the ethical spaces between classics and the modern interpretations and to elucidate an approach through the example of Liu Xizai's work. The paper proposes three ways to approach Liu Xizai's original work: to clarify the concepts in their original context, to trace the original trajectory of reasoning in the genealogy of tradition, and to interpret and pay due respect for the moral integrity reflected …
A Probe Into The Liu Xie's Concept Of Literary Virtue, Xinglu Zhou
A Probe Into The Liu Xie's Concept Of Literary Virtue, Xinglu Zhou
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Liu Xie (ca. 465-520) attached great importance to the literary virtues, and developed this unique elaboration of the concept in his Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragon. His elaborations in many chapters in the book redressed the prejudice that the literary man had no virtues, and he claimed that literary men should have the practical abilities, faith and sincerity, and personal integrity in political affairs and literary creation, no matter in the officialdom or in retreat. The paper argues that Liu Xie's emphasis on practice was rooted with his clan's quick rise and fall in the social status, and …
An Investigation Into Chen Wenshu's Criticism On Parallel Prose Through Poetry, Jinsong Li
An Investigation Into Chen Wenshu's Criticism On Parallel Prose Through Poetry, Jinsong Li
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Chen Wenshu's (1771-1843) "On Parallel Prose Written in the Lamplight for Zhihui" is the only long poem discussing the genre of parallel prose and it has both theoretical and practical significance. The poem not only investigates the history of parallel prose but also examines various aspects of parallel prose in an effort to promote the genre for serious writers, and it greatly helps to enrich the theoretical resource on parallel prose. Chen's survey of the history and examinations of the practice of parallel prose are characteristic of the textual criticism prevailing in the Qianlong-Jiaqing Reign.
Between Heaven And Human: On The Idea Of Heaven And The Transformation Of Poetry In The Mid-Tang Dynasty, Shun Liu
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The relationship between the Heaven and man is a central issue in the transformation of Confucianism in the Mid-Tang period. The discourses on the Heaven by Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan and Liu Yuxi help to promote the transformation of Confucianism and also greatly influence the transformation in literary creation. The differences in the poetry and prose between the three authors may also be interpreted from the perspective of the difference between their perceptions of the Heaven. The changes in the relationship between the Heaven and man lead to the broadened themes, innovated vocabulary, diversified styles and varied fresh imageries. Likewise, …
An Exploration Into Cao Xueqin's Notion Of Novel Writing Through The Titles Of His Dream Of The Red Chamber, Qingyu Li
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Cao Xueqin’s novel Dream of the Red Chamber had five different titles. These titles reflect the author’s different notions of novel writing. The title A Precious Mirror to Love Affair implies an allegorical discipline, the titles The Story of the Stone and Emotional Monk’s Record indicates authentic record of the real things, the title Twelve Beauties of Jinling tries to be a legend to question the world, and the final title A Dream of the Red Chamber expresses the notion of "a dream being the same as a play." The change of titles reflected the evolution of Cao Xueqin's notion …
Qi Rushan And Mei Lanfang's Chinese Montage: Modernizing Peking Opera Through Recomposition, Tingting Zhao
Qi Rushan And Mei Lanfang's Chinese Montage: Modernizing Peking Opera Through Recomposition, Tingting Zhao
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
This paper examines the efforts of Qi Rushang and Mei Lanfang to transform the traditional Beijing opera into a new art form for the modern audience during the 1930s. The method of Chinese montage they used, which they named as "recomposition," is essentially a technique that deconstructs and reassembles the elements of traditional opera, such as gestures and mise-en-scene, while keeping intact its traditional essence. This paper hopes to interpret the connections between Eisenstein, Brecht, and Peking Opera, so as to explore the strong correlations between artistic forms and montage across borders in the 1930s. It highlights the fact that …
The Narration Of Desire In The Late Qing Dynasty Novels And Modernity, Weiwei Fang
The Narration Of Desire In The Late Qing Dynasty Novels And Modernity, Weiwei Fang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The Late Qing Dynasty was a period of rapid transition from the traditional to the modern society, and the novels produced during the period took on a special character due to society background and scholars' mentality. Not only does the unique narration of desire in the novels exhibit as "the excess of economy" that subverts the tradition, but also the imagination of the feminine and the urban writing took on strong atmosphere of the modern.
Chinese Drama Writing And The Evolution Of The Drama Genre, Changji Li
Chinese Drama Writing And The Evolution Of The Drama Genre, Changji Li
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The researches on Chinese drama style and the drama writing have much to be desired in the scholarship on ancient Chinese drama studies. This paper approaches the genre of Chinese drama from the perspectives of genetic and typological relationships, and it proposes that Chinese ancient drama form matures as the result of literati's integrating folk arts into the drama writing. In terms of narrative methods and structure, the paper analyzes the essential features of drama-prose style (xiwen) from the Southern Song to Yuan Dynasties, the plot-content style (guanmu) in the variety drama (zaju) and the legend style (chuanqi) in the …
On The Reference Of Directional Positioning In The Han-Dynasty Stone Carvings, Qing Wang
On The Reference Of Directional Positioning In The Han-Dynasty Stone Carvings, Qing Wang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
In the Han-Dynasty stone carvings, the objects positioned at the centre of the planar graph are designated as the reference of directions, with the left on the surface standing for the east and the right for the west. This is the opposite to the direction positioning practice in modern graphics or cartography. This principle of direction positioning was not confined to the stone carvings alone, but was a general rule applied in almost all of the Han rituals such as the sword-wearing ritual of kings, the formation of marching armies, the ceremonial formation of vehicles and horses, and even the …
Speech, Rituals And Chanting In The Shang And Zhou Dynasties: An Exploration Into The Tradition Of Chanting In Han Chinese Culture, Guoan Zhang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Based on the critical interpretation of oracle bone scripts and bronze inscriptions from the Zhou Dynasty, the paper attempts to delineate the rituals and chanting in the Shang and early Zhou Dynastes. The paper proposes that the original meaning of "word" (言 yan) in the oracle bone script was imaged from the buccal reed talk, and that the communicative function of the buccal reed was the basis for the derivation of the meaning "speech" (言语 yanyu) from the character "yan". The features of "conveying language in music" and "confirming music with language" in the buccal reed performance were the primary …
The "Village Opinion" Society And The Fundamental Concept Of Literary Values In The Sixteen-State Period, Danjun Cai
The "Village Opinion" Society And The Fundamental Concept Of Literary Values In The Sixteen-State Period, Danjun Cai
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
This paper investigates the fundamental concept of literary values in the Sixteen-State Period (304-439) in the Northern area in China. Different from the situation of the southern area where scholars mainly gathered in the towns, the scholars in the Northern area mostly lived in the village of clan community. The social environment of "the village opinion" (xiang lun) had decisive impact on the formation of humanistic values. The impact manifested mainly in two aspects. On the one hand, the formation of the village opinion in the society was inseparable from the village election since the Han and Wei Dynasties. As …
On Deng Tingzhen's Ci-Poetry, Bailing Yang
On Deng Tingzhen's Ci-Poetry, Bailing Yang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Deng Tingzhen was not only a representative national hero but also an important figure in the history of Chinese ci-poetry. His philosophy of literary writing can be best summarized in his own words "I write in my own way", which was actually inheriting the late literary style of "changed elegance." He admired Su Shi for his plain diction and themes of the contemporary social political issues, and he especially stressed personal aspiration reflected in his writing, which had a unique value for both history and literature. Therefore, studies on Deng Tingzhen's ideas on poetry and his practice may help us …
On Poetry's Moral Cultivation: Style Reverence And Moral Cultivation In The Late Qing-Dynasty Ci-Poetry, Shuiyun Chen
On Poetry's Moral Cultivation: Style Reverence And Moral Cultivation In The Late Qing-Dynasty Ci-Poetry, Shuiyun Chen
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The prevailing dictum of composing ci-poems in the late Qing Dynasty is to suggest the inner world with words pointing to the outer world. This dictum was explicated by different scholars from different perspectives, covering both its connection with traditional view of poetry's function of moral cultivation and its unique features in the historical development of Chinese poetry. The different views not only helped to promote the ci-poetry criticism and explication of issues in the composition of ci-poems but also highlighted the aesthetic and pragmatic characteristics of the ci-poetry criticism in the Late Qing Dynasty.
Ji Yun's Theoretical Construction In On The Tang-Dynasty Imperial Examination Poetry, Guozhong Peng
Ji Yun's Theoretical Construction In On The Tang-Dynasty Imperial Examination Poetry, Guozhong Peng
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
In On the Tang-Dynasty Imperial Examination Poetry, Ji Yun's comments on the imperial examination poetry in the Tang Dynasty opened a scope wider than specific comments on specific time but became a theoretical study of the genre. For the imperial poetry, Ji Yun properly positioned its style, identifying its governing poetic rules along its unique features, while he also promoted its class and taste in terms of the poets’ personality and moral integrity as well as the sublimity of poetic language. He viewed the imperial examination poetry as an organism and made analogue between it and life by way of …
Ye Shi's Distinction Between Discourse And Literariness And His Concept Of Literary History, Qingcai Guo
Ye Shi's Distinction Between Discourse And Literariness And His Concept Of Literary History, Qingcai Guo
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Ye Shi (1150-1223) was erudite in Confucian classics, historiography and literature equally, with an awareness of the fundamental commensurability between them, believing that their division was resulted from the split of "yan (discourse)". Discourse was epitomized in the language use in the Three Dynasties, with the nature of political practice. Literariness flourished after the Han Dynasty, gradually becoming trivial rhetorical strategies. In general, the attentions to "literariness" and to political culture were reciprocally causal. Ye Shi advocated the idea of "pursuing 'The Tao (Logos)' by tracing 'discourse'," that is, reconstructing the Tao governance through re-interpreting the Five Classics. For him, …
"To Reach The Full Spectrum Of Emotions And Human Nature" And The Ontology Of "Passion": Literary Concepts In The Comparative Perspective, Xiaokai Lou
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The overseas experience of the generation of scholars such as Hu Shi, Liang Shiqiu, Lin Yutang, and Xu Zhimo etc. provided them with the access to and influence from two cultural traditions, but their ideas of literature showed that the idea of "passion" (qing), highly advocated in ancient Chinese poetic criticism and its local and national connotations, was re-invested with modern and worldwide significance. As "passion" formed a paradigm under constant transformation, it constructed a space for expression with more tension. Therefore, a literary concept was formed among them which could be called passion ontological in the three dimensions of …
The Cultural Significance Of The Chain Ci-Poems In The Ming Dynasty, Jingyi Wang, Xisheng Qian
The Cultural Significance Of The Chain Ci-Poems In The Ming Dynasty, Jingyi Wang, Xisheng Qian
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Chain ci-poems through relaying replies took up a relatively high proportion in the Ming-Dynasty ci-poetry which absorbed influences from the Song Dynasties, as well as the Tang and Five Dynasties. Of the 1051 chain poems, 150 poets produced 652 original poems, and 29 out of the 150 poets had been replied with poems for over ten times, while 35 original poems were relied for more than 5 times. An investigation of the most replied poets and poems may provide us with the knowledge on reception of the ci-poets and ci-poetry as well as the insight into the aesthetic appeal of …
The Transformation Of Urban Writing In Modern Fictions And Its Significance Of Fiction History: With A Focus On Shanghai And Guangzhou, Daqing Deng, Xun Sun
The Transformation Of Urban Writing In Modern Fictions And Its Significance Of Fiction History: With A Focus On Shanghai And Guangzhou, Daqing Deng, Xun Sun
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
After the forced opening of such cities as Shanghai and Guangzhou for international trade, the traditional modes of culture in these cities were changed. Fiction, as one important literary genre closely associated with urbanity, also underwent transformations in terms of the urban writing in China. In modern Chinese fictions, the space of urban writing was continuously extended, with the descriptive focus shifting from the general coverage of landmark buildings to the detailed exploration of urban life, the protagonists shifting from traditional city dwellers into modern urban citizens, and the narrative form shifting from centering round time to centering round space. …
On Cao Xueqin's Idea Of Stylistics With Reference To The Stylistic Value Of Zhiyanzhai AnnotatedDream Of Red Mansions, Jingze Ren
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Cao Xueqin's idea of stylistics is systematic and can be understood in four main ways. The first is analyzing and complying with style. This shows in the two ways to differentiate the style of each literary work and each author. The second is appropriate and inappropriate style. This pair of concepts has rich implications and may be considered as a heritance from Cao Pi's theory of stylistics in the pre-Qin period. The third is the breaking and transforming of style, which shows in the stylistic innovation in such texts as "A Eulogy for the Lotus Girl." The fourth is the …
Three Alternative Forms Of Ancient Chinese Fiction, Pengfei Li
Three Alternative Forms Of Ancient Chinese Fiction, Pengfei Li
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
The paper proposes an alternative way to categorize ancient Chinese novels in terms of their representation and its effects of social customs, historical background, natural scenes and objects, and it argues for three categories to be the concrete representation, the abstract representation, and the half concrete half abstract representation. This categorization does not take the fundamental elements such as plot, character, and theme to be the criteria, and it may offer a new perspective to examine the artistic characteristics of ancient novels and the authors’ way of thinking.
The Interaction Between Genres And Its Significance For Literary History, Zhongmou Zhang
The Interaction Between Genres And Its Significance For Literary History, Zhongmou Zhang
Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art
Ancient Chinese genre system is relatively self-contained, with each genre representing a unique function of expression. The uniqueness is both the condition and the reason for its existence, while the genres within the system co-exist and complement each other, configuring the spirit, psychology, character and temperament of the Chinese as a cultural nation. Chinese genre system has considerable stability during a certain period of literary development, and it may be claimed that the evolution of Chinese literature is that of literary genres. When a new influential genre wedges in the system, it brings about an ecological change of the system. …