Journals of ethnic literature and art Photo: Yang Lanlan/CSST

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In mid-July, a seminar on ethnic literature historical research was held in Qiqihar, Heilongjiang Province.

Historical materials

“Ethnic minority literature” is a core concept in the discipline of ethnic minority literature studies. Li Xiaofeng, director of the Institute of Chinese Ethnic Minority Literature at Dalian Minzu University, suggests that the process of tracing materials related to this subject is inevitably full of “regrettable imperfection.”

Collecting folk literature materials is crucial for obtaining primary sources.  Wu Xiaodong, a research fellow from the Institute of Ethnic Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), believes that the so-called “first-hand” sources refer to the original materials themselves rather than their users. These sources should be unaltered and faithfully recorded; any modification, even if done by the collector, disqualifies them as a primary source.

The historical material system for The Epic of King Gesar mainly includes oral histories, ancient written documents, archival compilations, archaeological relics, digital resources, and electronic records. Yang Xia, a research fellow from the Institute of Ethnic Literature at CASS, states that the theoretical framework of the Gesar epic is in a phase of continuous exploration and development. Academic research on the Gesar epic has progressed from the initial stage of data collection to a more theoretical and investigative stage. This paradigm shift is opening new perspectives for the study of Chinese epic. The emerging “Chinese school of epic studies” and “community poetics” represent localized theoretical practices, signifying a new direction in the study of epic literature in China. 

Comprehensive excavation

In 443, inscriptions were engraved on the stone walls of Gaxian Cave in Hulunbuir, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, which were used by rulers to glorify their achievements and honor their ancestors. Known as the eulogistic literature in the wilderness, these inscriptions had substantial implications for the study of Northern Wei Dynasty (386–534) history and the history of the northern ethnic groups. However, the relationship between the origin of Xianbei people and Gaxian Cave is still debated. Li Xiulian, a professor from the School of Literature, History, and Culture at Qiqihar University (QQHRU), argues that the idea of Gaxian Cave being the birthplace of the Tuoba Xianbei [a tributary of Xianbei people] is a constructed narrative. Following the discovery of the Gaxian Cave inscriptions, scholars have lacked critical source identification and material analysis, continuing to rely on the political narratives established in the ritual section of Wei Shu [History of Wei Dynasty]. This naturally invites academic skepticism, and resolving these doubts may depend on a “third discovery” within Gaxian Cave.

In the 1940s, Liang Shiqiu and Hua Si authored two seminal works, “Reading Rickshaw Boy” and “Comments on the English Translation of Rickshaw Boy,” which are viewed as classics in the dissemination history of Lao She’s Rickshaw Boy. Despite their importance, these texts have long been overlooked and neglected in Lao She studies. Chen Siguang, a professor from the College of Literature and Journalism at Sichuan University, advocates for a comprehensive exploration of existing historical materials in order to avoid blind confidence in Rickshaw Boy research. By addressing such biases and issues in previous reception studies, scholars can open a new horizon for the recognition and reconstruction in the study of Lao She’s work.

Poetic creation

With the rise of “spatial criticism,” the spatial dimension of literary history research has attracted growing attention, transcending traditional linear thinking and expanding the pathways of literary research. Wuhua Academy in Kunming, Yunnan Province, a historical site of literary fusion among various ethnic groups during the Qing Dynasty’s (1644–1911) Jiaqing and Daoguang reigns, represented a literary space where poets of various ethnicities lived and worked. According to Sun Jiwen, a professor from the College of Chinese Language and Literature at Southwest Minzu University, Wuhua Academy bears the literary and cultural exchange memory of multi-ethnic literati. The derivative “literary space community” at Wuhua Academy has propelled shifts in poetic trends by enriching Yunnan poetry and even Qing poetry with diverse genres.

In the Yuan (1271–1368), Ming (1368–1644), and Qing dynasties, the creation of Chinese poetry by Mongolian ethnic groups grew from roots to crown. Mi Yanqing, a professor from the College of Liberal Arts and Journalism at Inner Mongolia University, highlighted the necessity of researching this creative group from the perspectives of institutional history, thought history, and “new cultural history,” consolidating the status of Mongolian literature within Chinese literature under the view of multi-ethnic literary history. She suggests that Chinese literary historical data should be fully excavated and leveraged to enhance the sense of community for the Chinese nation, thereby unlocking its historical, cultural, and practical value.

The conference was co-hosted by the ethnic literature branch under the Chinese Literature Historical Materials Society and the QQHRU.

Edited by YANG LANLAN