Flowing like water

Author: Fang Fang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-05-01
Features: Since the 1980s, with the development of China's reform and opening-up, the impact and influence of global literary trends, contemporary Chinese literature has undergone unprecedented changes and growth. As the primary of this transformation, the landscape of contemporary Chinese literature has shifted from being closed to open, from being monolithic to diverse, from being narrow to expansive, with unique choices giving way to a multitude of options. Realism remains the mainstream of contemporary Chinese literature, but alongside it, various artistic explorations and experiments have emerged, creating a pluralistic artistic landscape in the field of contemporary Chinese literature. Despite interference and even constraints, the artistic creativity of writers and the overall productivity of literature have indeed achieved unprecedented liberation and development. Looking back at the changes and growth of Chinese literature since the 1980s, we are filled with deep nostalgia, but we place even greater hope in the coming years of the late 20th century and the longer span of the 21st century. We believe that future literature will undoubtedly undergo further, better, and more significant transformations and developments. The Century-spanning Literary Series was born at the crossroads of the old and new centuries. It will integrate the new achievements of 20th-century literature, particularly the transformations in Chinese literature since the 1980s, to carry forward the legacy and contribute its modest efforts to creating a new framework for 21st-century Chinese literature. It will herald the dawn of the new century's literature. The Century-spanning Literary Series will be inclusive, regularly releasing new creative works by contemporary Chinese writers, primarily in fiction but also encompassing essays, poetry,, and literary essays. It will not discriminate based on the fame of the writer, the order of their prominence, or the length of the work, as long as it is a creative achievement, it will be appropriately accepted. The Century-spanning Literary Series will be rooted in the present while looking to the future, upholding the tradition of realism in Chinese literature while also advocating openness, exploration, and diversity. In its selection criteria, it will adhere to the principle of combining aesthetics and history, valuing not only the literary merit of the works but also their cultural depth, historical significance, and intellectual impact. It will emphasize artistic innovation while also considering the reading needs and expectations of its audience.