Yang Jian Research Articles

Visual Design of Chinese Animated Films Infused with Oriental Punk Aesthetics

In recent years, China's movie industry has been advancing, and movies based on ancient myths, which can combine cultural expression with technical expression, have become a hot topic for creation. Especially the ancient mythological novels such as "The Legend of Deification" and "Journey to the West" have become the source of creative ideas for movie adaptations, and Light Chaser Animation, as one of the most important forces in Chinese film production, has been exploring new possibilities for animation movies, inheriting and innovating traditional Chinese cultural elements. Light Chaser Animation, as one of the most important forces in Chinese film production, has been exploring new possibilities for animation films, inheriting and innovating traditional Chinese cultural elements, and has produced the famous "New Gods" series of films, which combines oriental elements and cultural characteristics, blends modernity and tradition, and forms an Oriental Punk style with Chinese characteristics. Oriental Punk not only shows the construction of modernity of Chinese traditional culture, but also the embodiment of cultural self-confidence, and at the same time presents the unique style and aesthetic value of Chinese culture to the world. This article analyzes the visual symbols, color design and action vocabulary of the film New Gods: Yang Jian, and points out a new direction for Chinese films to integrate traditional cultural elements and modern art technology in the creation of new mythological themes.

Mediatization of Religion and Its Impact on Youth Identity Formation in Contemporary China

In response to the trend of information technology development, religions in China are undergoing a process of mediatization. This study takes the popular Chinese animated films Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child (哪吒之魔童降世) (2019) and New Gods: Yang Jian (新神榜: 杨戬) (2022) as research cases of mediatization of religion and conducts a focused study of the respective protagonists Ne Zha (哪吒) and Yang Jian (杨戬), both prominent figures in Chinese religious and folk traditions. Through text analysis and empirical research on the two movies and their fans, this study examines how religion is being mediatized in contemporary China in the transformation to Religion 2.0 or a type of amalgamation of real- and virtual-world practices that enact a relationship with the divine, and how this shapes identity formation for fans, who are mostly young individuals in their teens and twenties. This research argues that to obtain permission for dissemination in mainstream media and thrive in the cultural context of China, religion chooses to assume the form of media products that can bypass scrutiny that forbids “supernatural phenomena” and aligns with the mainstream ideology. It has to be a “contributory religion” that contributes to the “revitalization” of national spirit and inherited Chinese culture, not a potential “superstitious” threat to the Marxist orthodoxy. In the context of official promotion of atheism and the regulation of public discourse, animated films with themes adapted from traditional mythological and religious stories, such as Ne Zha: Birth of the Demon Child and New Gods: Yang Jian, have become a major cultural form through which people in China engage with religious symbols and narratives. The enormous success of the two movies resulted in a large population of young fans. Influenced by these films, their fans have developed an egoistic religious perspective rather than assimilating the religious or cultural messages contained in the movies. These fans may experience solace and a call to faith to some extent in their consumption of the movies, but they selectively enhance religious literacy that only meets their personal needs. Interest in divine individuals far outweighs interest in or loyalty to the religious doctrine or sect itself. Pilgrimages are undertaken to fulfill personal fantasies, and the promotion of the divine is aimed at vying for influence within fan communities. The second part of this study examines the activities of the fans that I argue are characteristic of the age of Religion 2.0.

An Exploration of the “Roads to the Gods” Model in Animation Film Adaptations of Fengshen Yanyi : Taking Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child, Legend of Deification, and New Gods: Yang Jian as examples

An Exploration of the “Roads to the Gods” Model in Animation Film Adaptations of Fengshen Yanyi : Taking Nezha: Birth of the Demon Child, Legend of Deification, and New Gods: Yang Jian as examples

Dusk, and: A Gift, and: Twilight

Dusk, and: A Gift, and: Twilight Yang Jian (bio) Translated by Stephen Haven (bio) and Li Yongyi (bio) dusk The pony kicks the stump in the stable,The fish thrashes in the basket,The dog barks in the yard,How they love and cherish themselves,The very source of pain,The still pulse of the moon,The ceaseless river. . . a gift The leaf, not resisting, falls,And when the wind Spins it around again,It rustles, without resisting. In its tiny wizened body, love breathesMore passionately than when on the tree. Yes, I will not die,A gift from these leaves. [End Page 142] twilight When a child, from the riverbank:The sun a slow ember over water.Grown up, my entombment in itWill surely not hurtThe light well of my being. Certainly I can live more delicately,Say, in an old urn on the wall stumpCovered by dried grass,A tiny eye in the lid of that container,That thin beam of twilight, dusk. [End Page 143] Yang Jian Yang Jian 杨健 was born in Anhui province in 1967. His books include Ancient Bridge (2007) and Remorse (2009). His honors include the Liu Li'an Poetry Award, Rougang Poetry Prize, Yulong Poetry Prize, and the Chinese Literature Media Award. Stephen Haven Stephen Nashef was born in Glasgow, Scotland, and lives in Guangzhou, where he translates and writes. His translations have appeared in Pathlight and Tender Buds: 21st Century Chinese Poems, and he has written for the U.S. journal Chinese Literature and Culture. He is a founding editor of the UK poetry magazine Kaffeeklatsch. Li Yongyi Li Yongyi 李永毅 is a professor of English at Chongquing University. His books include Catullus' Carmina (2008), A Study of Catullus (2009), Selected Poems of Horace (2015), On the Art of Horace (2016), and The Complete Poetry of Horace (2017). He received the 2014–2017 Lu Xun Literature Prize for translation. Copyright © 2019 University of Hawaiʿi Press

Dusk: Eighteen Poems

Yang Jian was born in 1967 in Anhui Province. He is a Buddhist, but strongly believes that Confucius tradition can save China as well as the world. He has been writing poetry since 1986. His book of poetry Dusk is being translated into English, and some of the poems have appeared in New American Writing, Tin House, and other journals in the United States.I received a copy of Dusk from a friend as a gift, and I could not put it down until I started translating it, one poem a day, like a prayer, a meditation, an awakening, an entry into another universe. It saved my sanity from the fury of noise and dust. I hope these translations will open a window for Westerners into China’s tradition, its essence, beauty, peace, and harmony.

Upsetting the Establishment

The Guanlong Bloc has been widely believed to have enjoyed significant advantages in the dynasties founded between the Western Wei and the Tang. Based on an analysis of the sociopolitical framework and geo-strategic factor before the Taiyuan Uprising, this article aims to explain how in order to strike a severe blow against the Sui. Li Yuan, a core member of the Guanlong Bloc, made use of forces alienated by, or simply unrelated to, the establishment. In addition to showing their considerable resentment against the establishment, a substantial number of meritorious officials collaborating with Li Yuan during the Sui were not directly affiliated with the Guanlong Bloc in terms of family and regional backgrounds; some of them were from humble origin or even desperados not tolerated by the establishment. Amongst the desperados, some were originally members of the Guanlong Bloc but committed crimes while the others were local bandits and chivalrous swordsmen. During his time governing Taiyuan and leading the troop to march towards Chang’an, Li Yuan had managed to recruit local bandits and chivalrous swordsmen. During the medieval era, aristocratic elites played a dominant role in shaping both politics and society; class differentiation was considered a major feature characterized by aristocratic preference. This prevailing mindset, however, did not seem to place any restrictions on Li Yuan in his efforts to recruit locals from humble origin. This practice was instrumental in drawing local supports, thus tremendously strengthening his military force to overthrow the establishment. The method adopted by Li Yuan highlights the point that despite his deep connection with the Guanlong Bloc, he adopted a policy of drawing on local human resources rather than relying on the military strength of the Guanlong region in the process of establishing his own authority. Another major point of discussion is the weakening of the Guanlong Bloc during the Sui. Yang Jian and his sons had counted heavily on those who were not the Guanlong Bloc members; some members of the Bloc had even become the target of purges during the reign of Yang Guang. In this sense, the strategy of using forces outside the establishment to overthrow it was not Li Yuan’s creation; instead, Li simply followed what Yang Jian and his sons had been doing in their endeavors to overthrow the existing order. The above historical facts are sufficient to cast doubt on the advantageous position that the Guanlong Bloc was supposed to be enjoying during medieval China. As a whole, similar to all other military and political blocs in history, the Guanlong Bloc passed through the stages of both establishment and transformation before stepping out of the historical arena.

Asian countries and the Arctic future. Edited by Leiv Lunde, Yang Jian and Iselin Stensdal

Asian countries and the Arctic future. Edited by Leiv Lunde, Yang Jian and Iselin Stensdal

A Study on Yang Jian’s Commentary of The Yijing(易經) - Focusing on the Comparison with Wang Bi’s Philosophy of Yijing -

A Study on Yang Jian’s Commentary of The Yijing(易經) - Focusing on the Comparison with Wang Bi’s Philosophy of Yijing -

Five Poems

Yang Jian was born in 1967 in Ma An Shan, Anhui Province. He started writing poetry in 1986, and loves calligraphy and painting. His awards include the Liu Li Ann Poetry Award, the Rou Gang Poetry Award, the Yu Long Poetry Award, Ten New Prominent Poets, and the Sixth Chinese Media Poetry Award. He has published poetry collections Sunset (Mu Wan ) with He Bei Education Publishing House in 2003, Ancient Bridgehead (Gu Qiaotou ) with Shanghai Arts Publishing House in 2007, and Ashamed (Can Kui ) with Taiwan Tangshan Publishing House in 2009.

Daoist Cultivation in the Zhongnan Mountains

193 Daoist Cultivation in the Zhongnan Mountains GERHARD MILBRAT & KNUT GOLLENBECK The Zhongnan mountains 鍾南山, southwest of Xi’an, are a major center of Daoism. Not only do they contain the place where Laozi transmitted the Daode jing, but the area also brought forth the Longmen lineage 龍門 派 of the school of Complete Perfection (Quanzhen dao 全真道) with its particular combination of Daoist thought, ways of nourishing life, and internal alchemy. For over a thousand years, wise men, hermits, monks, priests, and healers have lived in this Daoist holy land, inspired by its heritage and inspiring their followers. Master Li Jiacheng 李佳诚, a 22nd gen‑ eration Longmen Daoist, is one of the key figures there today. Receiving Daoist in‑ struction from childhood, he finds himself increasingly in the public eye, especially in his spread of the esoteric practices of Jin Dan Dao 金丹道(Golden Elixir Dao‑ ism). The abbot of a small yet ancient temple called Anle gong 安樂宮(Palace of Peace and Happiness), his work centers on self‑cultivation, Daoist medicine, espe‑ cially qigong treatments, and meditation. He is creating a new dimension of Daoist practice today. 194 / Journal of Daoist Studies 6 (2013) The Zhongnan Mountains Southern Shaanxi is divided east to west by a mountain range approxi‑ mately a thousand miles long, known as the Qinling range 秦嶺山. Its mountains form a natural barrier and create a watershed between north and south china. Blessed by a rich flora and fauna as well as ample de‑ posits of jade, gold, and other metals and minerals, the peaks reach up to 9000 feet: the main summit is Mount Taibai 太白山 at 11,300 feet (3767 m). The foothills of the Qinling range begin about thirty miles southwest of Xi’an, to rise from there into a lesser range known as the Zhongnan mountains. Ranging for a length of over 150 miles, they contain many Daoist centers and have housed innumerable hermits over the millennia (see Porter 1993). Many important masters lived and practiced here. Laozi transmit‑ ted his philosophy here, at Louguantai 樓觀台, on his emigration to the west. Wang Chongyang 王重陽(1113‑1170), the founder of Complete Per‑ fection, began his ascetic career here before venturing into Shandong to spread his teachings. The Xiyou ji 西遊記 (Journey to the West) has Faxian stop first at the Jinxian guan 金仙觀 (Temple of the Golden Im‑ mortal) with its terraces dating back to the Han. Jinxian guan Milbrat & Gollenbeck, “Daoist Cultivation” / 195 The temple is, moreover, the root location of Korean Daoism: a Korean monk 金可记 reached immortality here before bringing Daoism to his homeland. Today Daoism is increasingly popular in China, in the various areas of religion, health enhancement, and tourism. Many temples are being restored and expanded. In the Zhongnan mountains, these include espe‑ cially the Yuquan yuan 玉泉院 (Jade Spring Monastery) at the foot of Mount Hua, the Zongsheng guan 宗聖觀 (Monastery of the Ancestral Sage), occupying several hectares of a new Daoist Culture Area near Longuantai, and the Danyang guan 丹陽觀 (Monastery of Ma Danyang), about twenty miles west of Louguantai, where the Complete Perfection master Ma Yu 馬鈺 (aka Danyang; 1123‑1183) worked. Danyang guan The Chinese government supports this expansion, encouraging Daoist groups to restore historic areas and develop new, modern facili‑ ties such as spas, hospitals, and sanatoria, which increasingly make use of Daoist methods of life cultivation. This overall development is also affecting smaller and lesser known temples. Among them is particularly the Anle gong, in the early middle ages founded as a Buddhist temple by the name of Baoning si 寶寧寺 196 / Journal of Daoist Studies 6 (2013) (Monastery of Treasuring Peace). It became a Daoist temple in the early years of Complete Perfection, when Qiu Chuji 邱處機 (aka Changchun 長 春; 1148‑1227), the senior and most famous of the founder’s disciples, settled nearby on Mount Longmen. Anle gong Its name derives from Prince Anle, the third son of emperor Yang Jian 楊 堅, the first emperor of Sui Dynasty. After many years of war, wished his son to grow up in “peace and happiness” (anle). The temple honors all major Chinese religions: its main hall has a stone statue of the Buddha in the center, with Confucius and Lord Lao on his right and left. Surrounded by mountains covered with pine trees...

Yang Jian (1140-1226) et sa critique de la notion d’intention (yi)

Yang Jian (1141-1226) and his critique of the notion of intention (yi). Yang Jian, one of Lu Jiuyuan’s most influential disciples, took over and developed his master’s intuitional thesis, emphasizing the notion of xin (mind-and-heart). Yang also focused his reflections on the sense of yi, translated here as “ intention”. Yang sets it against xin and considers it as the cause of all moral drift. Thus, “ stopping the emergence of intention” (bu qi yi) becomes the main goal of moral training and the keyword for his interpretations of the Confucian Classics. This part of his approach, clearly related to Chan Buddhism, has often been criticized. Nevertheless, a careful study of his works enables us to further our understanding of this erudite thinker who is seldom studied in the West.

"Stories of Mulberry Village" and the End of Modern Chinese Theatre

In early I988, a new play in Beijing engrossed theatregoers and professionals so much that all notable Beijing theatre critics and cultural officials unanimously believed that the ten-year experimentation, following the end of the Cultural Revolution, had finally ushered modem Chinese theatre into a new era of maturity and prosperity. Based on Zhu Xiaoping's three related novellas about hardship and struggles in a village in northern China, this landmark production was the Central Theatre Academy's Stories of Mulberry Village (Sangshuping Jishi), written by Chen Zidu, Yang Jian, and Zhu Xiaoping. It was codirected by Xu Xiaozhong, CTA's president and a leading director of modern spoken drama, and Chen Zidu.

A Report on the "Stories of Mulberry Village" Experiment

I have always wanted to create a production, starting with the conception of the script, which would present my thoughts on the development of Chinese modem theatre. I want to further the tradition of realistic drama, to learn the aesthetic principles of China's traditional arts from an advanced perspective, to draw critically from all valuable sources of experimental theatre, including modern theatre. In short, I want to capture the development of theatre arts in the process of dialectically integrating various Chinese and non-Chinese sources. In the winter of I986, I decided to use Zhu Xiaoping's three related stories about the village of Sangshu Ping, literally Village, as the basis for this experiment. These stories touched me deeply. They show our nation's extraordinary resilience and vitality, offer courageous reflections on our nation's fate, and have profound historic substance. Zhu's work also, in my opinion, calls for fundamental social reform. I took major members of the experiments' creative team to the northwestern mountain area twice, where Sangshu Ping is set, in order to do fieldwork for the production. We tried to familiarize ourselves with the characters in their home surroundings, deepen our understanding of the original stories, and enrich our own life experience and thinking. Thereafter, according to the aesthetic principles I had set out and united by a cohesive conception of the drama, Chen Zidu, Yang Jian, and Zhu Xiaoping (the author of the original stories) wrote the script of Stories of Mulberry Village. Chen later also codirected the production.