FEATURES OF CHINESE EPISTOLOGRAPHY AT AN EARLY STAGE OF ITS FORMATION

Abstract

The article is devoted to the consideration of writing letters - one of the oldest prose genres in the world literature. In contrast to the Western epistolary heritage, not deprived of the attention of researchers, Chinese epistolary literature and culture are still little studied areas of synology. In this article, we will find out the role that epistolography played in the life of ancient Chinese people, trace the emergence and formation of traditional Chinese epistolography, note the various types of material carriers of epistolary text, clarify the details of the process of writing and sending a letter, try to “find” the genre nature of writing, schematically denote its typological structure; we will list the most common epistolary topoi, outline the themes prevailing in letters, highlight the key function of a letter, the allegorical perception of a letter in the minds of the ancient (and not only) Chinese. The article is intended to vividly show that the fictional epistle in the form in which it originated and developed in the depths of traditional Chinese literature deserves a more detailed examination and is capable of generating interest not only among specialists, but also among a wide circle of readers.