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Author: Chen Hongzhi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Fu is one of the most nationally distinctive literary genres in ancient China. It boasts an extremely long history of development and an incredibly rich body of creative achievements, profoundly influencing various aspects of China's politics, economy, and culture throughout its long history. In the vast and enduring history of Chinese literature, the status of Fu literature is as significant as that of poetry and ci, both of which were once closely associated with grand and prosperous feudal dynasties of certain periods, becoming cultural benchmarks of their time. The rise of Fu has a long history. The poetry of officials ascending high, the witty remarks of entertainers, the eloquent speeches of wandering scholars, and the lyrical verses of Qu Yuan—all of these converged and evolved into this genre. From the rise of the Han Dynasty to the fall of the Qing Dynasty, Fu stood alongside poetry as a prominent literary form, enduring for over two thousand years without interruption. Since the May Fourth Movement, the notion of "the heresy of Tongcheng and the demon of selection studies" has spread widely, leading to even harsher criticism of Fu, until this once-distinguished discipline of the past century vanished overnight, leaving it as a lost art today. It is truly a tragedy to reflect on its decline and to fail to honor its legacy. The flaws of Fu need no mention, its decline need no denial, but its extinction demands attention. It is with this book that we hope, not to revitalize this art form overnight, but to partially compensate for the shortcomings of predecessors and avoid the shame of forgetting our cultural roots. The book is divided into four parts: the first part briefly outlines the historical evolution of Fu to clarify its lineage; the second part selects renowned masterpieces of Fu to elaborate on its branches; the third part introduces the fundamentals of Fu literature to correct its reputation; and the fourth part collects essays on Fu studies by modern scholars to demonstrate the depth and breadth of this field.