King Gesar

 

For many years, Chinese literary history has been written using a chronological style. Some scholars have proposed bringing spatial dimensions into Chinese literary history to change the research methods and concepts of literary history. Recently, jointly hosted by the School of Liberal Arts at Renmin University of China and the Editorial Department of Literary Heritage, the symposium on “Spatial Dimensions of Studies of Chinese Literary History” was held in Beijing. Over 50 scholars from universities and research institutions nationwide had in-depth discussions.
 

The spatial aspect of  literary history has attracted increasing attention from scholars. Zhu Wanshu, a professor from the School of Liberal Arts at Renmin University of China, said that the spatial dimension does not refer to the literary space discussed by literary theorists since the late 20th century, but instead means physical or geographic space in literary history. In his view, literary activities are usually carried out in different physical spaces during the same time or period. This fully manifests the richness of literary history. 
 

Many scholars said that research on Chinese literary history using the spatial dimension is promising. Miao Huaiming, a professor from the School of Liberal Arts at Nanjing University, said that the spatial dimension of Chinese literature is complex, including personal and public spaces, urban and rural spaces, worldly and religious spaces. Family, dialect, nature, human landscape, local conditions and customs are all important components of the spatial dimension, Miao said.
 

Liu Yuejin, a research fellow from the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said that the spatial dimension refers to not only spaces in natural and human geography but also spaces in the sense of the mind. Relations between personal and historical memory, literary imagination and historical narration deserve our further discussion, Liu said.

Liao Kebin, a professor from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Peking University, said that many ancient Chinese literary works didn’t originate from practice but from imagination. New topics remain to be discussed, such as how outer and inner spaces of literary activities are converted and what characteristics imaginary and real spaces of literary creation have, Liao added.

Many non-Han writers who wrote excellent works have long been excluded from literary history. Scholars proposed reviewing literary history from the perspective of “Chinese literature.”
 

Liu said Chinese literature at least includes four meanings: literary history with Chinese as the subject, multi-ethnic literary writing, Chinese-speaking cultural circles and overseas Chinese literature.
 

Zhu said the research on ancient Chinese literature has focused on Han literature for a long time, and that there has been less coverage of the literature of other ethnic groups. “The idea that Chinese literature is only the literature of the Han ethnic group must be changed to break through the existing research pattern of ancient Chinese literature. We should have the concept that Chinese literature is the literature of all ethnic groups to establish a broader research pattern of Chinese literature,” Zhu said.
 

Fu Chengzhou, a professor from the school of Literature Journalism and Communication at Minzu university of China, asserted that the narration of Chinese literary history should lay emphasis on new changes that multi-ethnic cultural integration brought about to Chinese literature. Literature of the Han ethnic group lacks epic. The heroic epics of Tibetan, Mongol and Kirgiz ethnic groups undoubtedly caused new changes to Chinese literature. In addition, the patriotic theme during the Song Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties is one of the precious treasures of Chinese literature, Fu said.

 

 

 

Sun Miaoning is a reporter at the Chinese Social Sciences Today.