Chinese Tradition Research Articles

Examining the Progress of 'Modernization of Poetry' in Taiwan during the 1950s and 1960s through the Literary Trajectories and Transformations of Ye Shan

<p>"楊牧（1940-2020），花蓮人，本名王靖獻，早年筆名葉珊，為「戰間世代」詩人。高中時期（1955）即參與由陳錦標主編的《海鷗》詩刊，借《東台日報》副刊發行，這應是葉珊最早的文學起點。1958年，北上。因而認識，如吳望堯、余光中、夏菁、葉維廉、周夢蝶、瘂弦、洛夫、商禽等「現代派」詩人群，彼此形成一個有力的文化圈網絡，而共同參與「詩現代化」的進程。1959年，葉珊進入東海大學就讀。學院中的文學陶養讓他對英國浪漫派詩人濟慈（John Keats，1795-1821）醉心，同時受業於徐復觀、接受中國古典文學及思想的薰陶，因此游藝於東／西方文學之中。1964年，他至美國求學，期間師事陳世驤而受中國文學「抒情傳統」的啟發，擺盪在臺美兩地及「他者」與「自我」之間，重新在中國／西方的文學傳統中，鍛鑄現代詩的新精神及新方法。同時，他也檢視反思臺灣詩壇「虛無」的詩風，重建一條自己的詩路。因此，葉珊一九六〇年代後期，開始轉變並省思自己詩的寫作，其中不單是美學風格的變化，更是臺灣詩壇「詩現代化」及文學史敘事的問題。此一歷程，顯映臺灣一九五〇、六〇年代「現代詩」的發展進程，它是如何演變與實踐？何以它促使了1964年本土詩社「笠」成立，繼之1972-73年，引來沸沸揚揚的「現代詩」論戰？此一反思，可以更精確爬梳，戰後臺灣「現代詩」早期的發展過程，避免統稱式的論述框架，而能進入並貼近文學史的敘事脈絡中。</p> <p> </p><p>"Yang Mu (1940-2020), born in Hualien and originally named Wang Jing-xian, initially wrote under the pseudonym Ye Shan. He was a poet of the “Interwar Generation.” During his high school years in 1955, he participated in the poetry journal “Haiou,” which was edited by Chen Jinbiao and published as a supplement to the “Dong Tai Daily.” This was likely Yang Mu’s earliest involvement in literature. In 1958, he moved to northern Taiwan and consequently came to know “modernist” poets such as Wu Wangyao, Yu Guangzhong, Xia Jing, Ye Weilian, Zhou Mengdie, Yaxian, Luo Fu, and Shang Qin. Together, they formed a powerful cultural network and collectively engaging in the process of “modernizing poetry.” In 1959, Yang Mu enrolled at Tunghai University, where he received literary cultivation. He had a particular affinity for the English Romantic poet John Keats (1795-1821) and was influenced by Chinese classical literature and thought under the guidance of Xu Fuguan. Consequently, he straddled Eastern and Western literature. In 1964, he went to the United States for further studies. During his time there, he studied under Chen Shihuang and was inspired by the Chinese literary “lyric tradition,” oscillating between Taiwan and the United States, and the dynamics of “self” and “other.” This allowed him to forge a new spirit and new approach to modern poetry within the Chinese and Western literary traditions. Simultaneously, he reflected on and reevaluated the “nihilistic” poetic style prevalent in the Taiwanese poetry scene, carving out his unique poetic path. As a result, in the late 1960s, Yang Mu began to transform and critically examine his poetic writing. This transformation encompassed not only changes in aesthetic style but also questions regarding the “modernization of poetry” in the Taiwanese poetry scene and the narrative of literary history. This process illustrates the developmental journey of “modern poetry” in Taiwan in the 1950s and 1960s, how it evolved and was practiced, and how it led to the establishment of the native poetry society “Li” in 1964 and the subsequent intense “modern poetry” debates in 1972-73. This reflection allows for a more precise delineation of the early development of “modern poetry” in post-war Taiwan, avoiding broad strokes in discourse and bringing us closer to the narrative context of literary history.</p> <p> </p>

The architecture of railway stations in Shenyang in the first half of the 20th century

The work is dedicated to identifying and defining the figurative and spatial characteristics of railway stations constructed in Shenyang during the first half of the 20th century. In the course of the study, the main architectural and compositional techniques employed by architects for the construction of railway stations in Russia, the South, the North, and the East are examined in detail. The stylistic traits that are associated with Western European, Chinese, and Japanese architectural traditions are identified. The brief history of the construction of these stations is reviewed, as well as the objects that served as models for the planned structures. The author examines how each station influenced the formation of the urban composition and development. As part of the research, three approaches to station design were identified based on national characteristics. Russian designers considered these stations to be secondary, which is reflected in the use of standardized design techniques and lack of elaboration in urban planning. Japanese architects designed the station based on the typology of similar facilities in the city. An integrated approach was taken, with the station originally planned as the center of a residential development project. Chinese builders sought to demonstrate the independence of their national architecture from foreign influences, resulting in the creation of a creative solution that is typical of Sino-Western architecture during this period, characterized by the breakdown of proportions and tectonic elements from European architecture. Additionally, the stations designed by Chinese architects were characterized by a lack of integration with the existing urban planning, which was partly addressed during the Manchukuo period.

Building a Parallel Corpus for Chinese Folk Songs Translation Studies: A Case Study of Northern Shaanxi and Hua’er Folk Songs

Folk songs, collaboratively created by the public and transmitted orally, have gained widespread popularity. The translation of folk songs primarily centers on lyrics translation, a subset of literary translation. Recent advancements in corpus technology have highlighted the significance of corpus-based research approaches for the analysis of literary translation. The corpus method, now employed as a hybrid research approach, enables the generation of quantitative data for descriptive translation studies. Scholars are increasingly using parallel corpora containing both the source text (ST) and the target text (TT) to explore translation universals across diverse texts. Despite the growing body of literature on the translation of Chinese folk songs, most studies have involved straightforward analyses of a limited number of translated texts without the utilization of quantitative approaches. This article aims to bridge this gap by presenting a prospective study on the creation of the Chinese-English Parallel Corpus of Northern Shaanxi and Hua’er Folk Songs (CEPCNSHFS). The study covers essential aspects such as sampling, corpus structure, corpora selection, and corpora processing. Moreover, to assess the practical utility of the CEPCNSHFS, a pilot study was conducted. The primary contributions of this article reside in the potential of the CEPCNSHFS to support diverse research topics, including the exploration of translation language characteristics, styles, and methods employed in translating Northern Shaanxi and Hua’er folk songs, both of which hold significant positions within Chinese folk song traditions.

Revisiting the institutionalization of Tongshi education in Chinese universities: a comparative-historical lens

ABSTRACT This paper delineates the rise, fall and re-emergence of tongshi education in Chinese higher education history, and in doing so hopes to reveal the underlying forces behind the two waves of tongshi education and capture their important ‘Chinese’ characteristics. Based on a comparative-historical examination of the Chinese knowledge traditions and their modern developments across different time periods, this paper argues that despite deliberate efforts to borrow from the American general education model, tongshi education in China stands out as an evolving, localized educational ideal embedded within the changing socio-cultural, political and institutional environments that Chinese universities are situated in. Three salient ‘Chinese’ features are put forward, i.e. a dual focus on reviving the Chinese learning and opening to the world, an underlying rationale to foster a collectivistic, political consciousness, and finally an economic-driven, utilitarian orientation to produce innovative talents.

Religious and Ethical Conception of Xiao-Filiality in Pre-Imperial China

Xiao-filiality is the most fundamental concept in the Chinese intellectual-cultural tradition. It represents not only family values but also religious, political and ethical ideologies. The conception of xiao, which originally denoted the meanings of presenting offerings to deceased ancestors and inheriting their legacy in the Shang dynasty, went through two stages of evolution from the early Zhou dynasty to the Warring States period. In the first stage, xiao was extended to ethical domain with the humanistic turn from human-spirit relationship to human-human relationship. Xiao was not only expanded to the empirical exercise of serving living parents but also established as a ritual-ethical norm that defined people’s familial, social, and hierarchical role duties and regulated their conducts of dealing with interpersonal relationships. As a result, the religious authority of paranormal ancestral spirits was transferred to the social-political authority who enforced the implement of the ritual-ethical norm of xiao. In the second stage, Confucius and his followers on the one hand recognized the importance of compliance with this prescribed ritual-ethical norm, and on the other internalized it to become the individual agent’s moral emotion and free choice. Consequently, the social-political authority was further transferred to the internal authority of moral autonomy.

Literacy Transmission of Guqin Culture at the Wangji School in Henan Province, China

This research investigates the literacy transmission of Guqin culture at the Wangji School in Henan Province, China, through the lenses of ethnomusicology and transmission theory. The goal is to gain an understanding of the educational opportunities provided by this institution and its function in preserving and advancing this ancient Chinese musical tradition. Located in Henan, a province known as the “Cradle of Chinese Civilization,” the Wangji School serves as a vital hub for Guqin education, performance, and transmission. Key informants provide perspectives on the diverse backgrounds and pedagogical approaches of Guqin instructors at the school. Using thematic analysis to look at observations and interviews as data shows that there is a focus on copying, expressing oneself, and combining lifestyle elements. The research highlights the school’s commitment to cultural preservation, fostering an inclusive learning environment, and employing online outreach. In conclusion, the Wangji School emerges as a beacon of Guqin culture, bridging tradition and innovation to ensure the continuity and vitality of this cherished musical tradition, offering valuable lessons for the preservation of cultural heritage in contemporary educational settings.

An Introduction to Zoeontology

Zoeontology, or the study of living, is a philosophical system the author is constructing in the spirit of traditional Chinese philosophy. We see living as the central philosophical inquiry in the Chinese tradition, rather than being as in Western philosophy. Being is supposed to be eternal and death is a negation of being, but living consists of birth, growing, aging, and death. Hence in zoeontology, we see time as the rhythm of living, and space as the orientation in a living community. As a time-space system, a living subject interacts with the world from the perspective of the ego. Zoeontology is also a kind of subjective philosophy. Different living subjects interact with each other if their living rhythms parallel or overlap with each other. A child’s living process is internal to the parents’ living process, and hence there must be intimate and profound interactions between them. This is the beginning of a civil community. There is a dialectical relationship between civilization and nature. The purpose of human civilization is to civilize a natural living community, but it must obey the rules of nature. Human civilization is not meant to change nature, but to fulfil it.

A cross-cultural archery analogy in Matteo Ricci'sTianzhu shiyi

AbstractIn the sixth chapter of hisTianzhu shiyi(天主實義, “The True Meaning of the Lord of Heaven”), Matteo Ricci offers a critique of the anti-intentionalistic thread that he detects in the Chinese philosophical tradition. In this brief essay, I offer an analysis of a noteworthy archery analogy that Ricci employs to describe the nature of ethical action as an intentional process with a conscious aim. I trace how Ricci skilfully combines Western and Chinese images and categories to craft this simile. Before that, I set the stage by offering some preliminary comments that contextualize Ricci's interest in the question of intentional vs. non-intentional conduct.

INNOVATIVE APPLICATION OF CERAMIC ART IN MODERN PRODUCT DESIGN IN CHINA

With the passage of times, modern product design are getting increased importance to respective cultural connotation. Only products with unique cultural connotation can occupy a place in the market, and ceramic culture is the treasure of traditional culture. Therefore, ceramic materials are used as the carrier of product design, and fashionable elements such as ceramic culture, modelling and decorative patterns are embellished in product design. So it can not only reflect the profound cultural connotation of the product, but also have unique aesthetic characteristics. With the product as the medium, the essence of Chinese tradition continues to the field of modern people's life, gives the product a new connotation, and better reflects The Times, so that the ceramic culture not only has the connotation of national culture and art, but also has the emotion and charm of modern design.

A New Discourse on Fengjian: the Redefinition of Fengjian and the Demonization of Federalism

This article examines the evolution of the vocabulary “feudal (fengjian)” in early twentieth-century China. Despite having served as a symbol of local autonomy and countervailing against imperial authority as emphasized in the Confucian tradition, the term had descended into an object of scorn, oppression, and retrogression in the latter half of the twentieth century until today. An alternative interpretation toward the modern misuse of fengjian may be found by focusing and comparing the two seemingly unrelated and radically different portrayals of fengjian by: political thinker Zhang Taiyan’s federalist ideology; and Marxist historian Guo Moruo’s manipulation of Chinese classics. Under the historical context surrounding the turmoil of 1920s China, this article argues that much more than a mistranslation, the redefinition of fengjian was an intentional slander to, through the ambiguity surrounding its definition, destroy the Chinese tradition of liberty and local autonomy, further justifying a unified, highly centralized Chinese nation-state.

Tracing the Pioneers: Ballroom Dance Instructors and “Taxi-dance Girls” in Modern Chinese Leisure Sports

This research examines the introduction and development of ballroom dancing in Modern China, focusing on the cultural clashes, professional evolution, and survival strategies of pioneers like instructors and “Taxi-dance Girls.” It shows ballroom dancing epitomized tensions between Chinese traditions and Western modernity. The transformations of dancing and its pioneers provided insights into China’s socioeconomic transition, urbanization, and modernization. The shift from foreign to Chinese instructors reflected tensions between westernization and localization, as well as China’s cultural awakening. Case studies on instructors enabled nuanced analysis. As commodified entertainers, “Taxi-dance Girls” gained economic sustainability and social mobility through talents and gender charm, though their glamorized images provoked debates on gender relations. By exploring multifaceted roles and experiences of pioneers, this research enriches understanding of entertainment consumption, urban middle-class lifestyles, and Eastern-Western cultural integration in Modern China. It provides new historical materials and perspectives, unveiling complex interplay between cultural globalization and localization.

Tiong Hoa Hwee Koan (Thhk), and Nationalism Among Chinese People in Dutch East Indies 1900-1942

THHK was the first modern organization in the Dutch East Indies. The purpose of establishing this organization was to unite Chinese people in Dutch East Indies and instill love for the country (nationalism) by establishing schools run by THHK. The founders of THHK school hoped that Chinese traditions and culture, language, religion (Confucianism), Chinese history and other subjects were reintroduction of the school’s curriculum. The education was selected as a medium to instill love for the motherland of Chinese people in Dutch East Indies. This was evidenced by their actions, these were continuing to study in China, refusing to become citizens of the Dutch East Indies, becoming athletes on behalf of China, and raising funds for the people of their ancestral countries. However, the mission of this organization faced obstacles as well due to the new policies of the Dutch East Indies government that were detrimental to the THHK movement. The growth and development of Indonesian nationalism caused divisions among Chinese people, especially among the elites.

ФОРТЕПИАННЫЙ КОНЦЕРТ ЧУ ВАНХУА «МОЯ РОДИНА»: СПЕЦИФИКА ПРЕЛОМЛЕНИЯ ИММАНЕНТНЫХ СВОЙСТВ ЖАНРА

The article analyses the piano concerto “My Homeland” by the Chinese composer Chu Wanghua, written under the impression of the war film “The Battle on Shangganling Mountain” (1956). The work is based on the song “My Homeland”, which is very popular among the Chinese people. In the Concerto, the composer turns to a generalized programme, which, as revealed in analysing the composition, is directly related to the plot of the film. Based on the immanent properties of the concerto genre, Chu Wanghua presents the listener with its nonstandard interpretation. As the initial form, Chu Wanghua chooses free variations, a structure typical to the Chinese national tradition, interpreting them in accordance with the musical content of the work. The Concerto reveals the features of the sonata cycle and the sonata allegro in the role of the supporting form. At the same time, the work bears the signs of a suite, a genre widely spread in Chinese musical culture. Masterfully owning the compositional technique, Chu Wanghua implements in the Concerto such immanent features of the genre as game logic, virtuosity, competitiveness, concertising, improvisation, which are presented in the work with varying degrees of intensity. According to the concept, “My Homeland” can be attributed to a synthetic type, where virtuosity and the desire for symphonisation are equally represented. In terms of composition, the Concerto is an atypical form, but rather approaches the concertina in scale (the composition sounds about fifteen minutes). According to the principle of the performing parts ratio, the Concerto belongs to the parity type.

АЛЕКСАНДР ЧЕРЕПНИН: РУССКО-КИТАЙСКИЙ КОМПОЗИТОР-ПИАНИСТ-ПЕДАГОГ

The article is devoted to the activities of the greatest Russian composer and pianist A. Tcherepnin, son of the famous Saint Petersburg professor N. Tcherepnin. The author traces the work of the Tcherepnin dynasty, which for almost a century and a half contributed to the development of musical art not only in Russia and China, but also in the Far East, Europe and America. A. Tcherepnin is characterised as a Russian and American composer, pianist, theorist, teacher and critic. The stages of life of an outstanding composer and musician are considered and structured. The most important innovations introduced by Professor Tcherepnin in the system of pedagogy are noted, concerning the change in the chronology of the vectors of studying Classics and Modernity, as well as the revision of the fundamental sound basis of music teaching aids and the actual creation of a new Chinese repertoire for performers. The evolution of aesthetic and stylistic views of young Chinese composers is traced: while in the 1920s the emphasis was placed on harmonious combination of the traditions of Eastern and Western music, in the following decades the interest in national roots increased significantly. A. Tcherepnin’s main thesis receives scientific analytical substantiation — to teach the Chinese to create and perform, preserving their belonging to the Chinese national tradition. The characteristic of the cycle of piano pieces “From Tcherepnin” analyses the etudes, that have a programme interpretation in a literary epigraph or in an expanded title, which is an aesthetic norm of Chinese music.

The New Ecology of Chinese Language and Literature in the Digital Age--Cultural Inheritance and Innovation

Abstract Digital media is perpetually evolving, significantly impacting the Chinese language and literature. Concurrently, the rapid pace of modern lifestyles poses challenges to the transmission of cultural heritage within Chinese literary traditions. Accordingly, this study explores the pathways for digital innovation in Chinese literature, focusing on the integration of key virtual technologies to facilitate the cultural inheritance of the Chinese language. This research highlights the application of advanced virtual technologies in preserving and transmitting Chinese linguistic culture. It involves designing an experiential process for cultural inheritance, utilizing these technologies to process graphic and textual information pertinent to the Chinese language and literature. Furthermore, the study innovates cultural transmission methods through the synthesis of virtual 3D scenes and the implementation of human-computer interaction functionalities. An experimental evaluation approach was employed to assess the impact of virtual reality technology on the learning outcomes in Chinese literature and its cultural transmission. The findings indicate that users who interactively engage with the content in a virtual environment achieve a learning effect score that is 0.6528 points higher than those using traditional browsing methods. This underscores the enhanced efficacy of interactive experiences in facilitating the learning of Chinese literature. The regression analysis further demonstrates the significant promotional effects of the number of virtual experiences in Chinese literature (P1) and the rate of user interaction with computers (P2) on the dissemination of Chinese cultural content. The fixed and random effects for the number of virtual experiences are 0.9428 and 0.9784, respectively, while those for user interaction rates are 0.8945 and 0.8835. These results suggest a substantial impact on the broader dissemination and transmission of Chinese language literature, reinforcing the value of integrating virtual reality technologies in cultural education.

Analysis on the Reasons for the Absence of Light and Shadow Processing Techniques in Chinese Painting Tradition

Analysis on the Reasons for the Absence of Light and Shadow Processing Techniques in Chinese Painting Tradition

French Narrative Theory and the Boom of Chinese Narrative Studies

The 1980s, an era in the wake of opening-up policy after the cultural revolution, witnessed an unprecedented passion for Chinese critics to read, embrace and import Western theories, among which French narrative theory deserves a particular mention. To a large extent, it is French narrative theory that has led to the upsurge and explosion of Chinese narrative studies, which prevails in the 21st century. This paper, first of all, connects the boom of Chinese narrative studies with French narrative theory which was translated and warmly received in Chinese academia in the 1980s. Second, it attempts to examine the travelling, the impact and the after-life of French narrative theory in China, arguing that inspired by their French predecessors, Chinese narrative theorists have cultivated their increasing interest in the narrative form of literary works and developed Chinese narratology with special reference to Chinese narrative traditions. Third, it investigates how Chinese narratologists foster theoretical dialogues with their French colleagues by challenging and revising some narratological concepts. Finally, it calls for a narratology beyond French structuralism by proposing comparative and transcultural perspectives on narrative studies with the aim to draw scholarly attention to those neglected and peripheral narratives and to subvert the hegemony of Anglo-American narrative theory.

Humor in Chinese Traditions of Thought, Part One: Systematic Reflections in View of Ancient Confucian and Daoist Applications of Humor

Humor in Chinese Traditions of Thought, Part One: Systematic Reflections in View of Ancient Confucian and Daoist Applications of Humor

To study island China

As greater attention has been paid to island research in China, interactions between Chinese and international island scholars have increased. However, research has tended to take an ‘islands of China’ approach, which perceives China as a continental country surrounded by a large number of islands. The present paper proposes an alternative ‘island China’ perspective, informed by selected Chinese traditions of thinking about islands and the sea, that captures the role islands have played and continue to play in Chinese culture. Drawing upon Fei Xiaotong’s reflexive concept of ‘cultural self-consciousness’, we consider the cultural history of island China, including conceptual tensions between the binaries of continent/island and center/periphery, conceptions of land dwellers and water dwellers, the role of islands as hubs of cultural transmission, and the formation of maritime societies across East and Southeast Asia. We also argue that this cultural history ought to influence island governance in China today.

Czy Tadeusz Miciński znał taoizm? O "Romansie Siedmiu Braci Śpiących w Chinach"

The aim of this article is to examine how elements of Taoist philosophy are incorporated into Tadeusz Miciński’s one-act drama "The Ballad of the Seven Sleeping Brothers in China". Despite culturally syncretic references to Eastern philosophical systems, the author rarely referred to Chinese traditions of thought in his works. Published posthumously from manuscript, the ballad is therefore original in the context of Miciński’s oeuvre, both in terms of these references and its dramatic construction. It is interesting to note that the drama was written around 1910, the year when Polish translation of the Daodejing book was published under the title "Tao czyli Droga niebios czyli Doktryna najwyższego rozumu: (Lao-Tse i jego nauka)" ["Tao or the Path of Heaven or the Doctrine of the Supreme Reason: (Lao Tzu and His Teachings)"]. Taoism is one of the many aspects of the work that constitutes a reflection on the condition of the artist and evidence of Tadeusz Miciński’s exploration of Chinese religious-philosophical systems.