Xiang Xing Ji

Author: Shen Congwen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-04-01
Features: A faint patch of afternoon sunlight on the hilltop moved me, and the colorful, chess-like stones at the bottom of the water also moved me. My heart seemed utterly pure, transparent and illuminated. I praise this river of my hometown precisely because it is isolated from the city, utterly rustic, and free from commonality. Both its way of life and its attitude bear a primitive flavor. Notes from a Journey to Xiang, a collection of crystal-clear, simple prose, embodying a natural and spontaneous style of essay writing. Shen Congwen wrote numerous home letters and sketches during his journey back to his hometown after parting ways with his newlywed wife, using these materials to compose the notes. Some of the preserved letters and sketches were compiled into Letters from a Journey to Xiang, which were first published together with Notes from a Journey to Xiang for readers. At that time, Hunan was far from a peaceful era; Changsha had just been through a battle. In places like Changde, the author encountered notices offering rewards for capturing Mao Zedong and Zhu De. During his days back in Fenghuang, a hundred miles away, the city of Tongren was embroiled in battle, and Chen Qizhen, the "King of Western Hunan," had mobilized three thousand troops to gather in Fenghuang, soon joining the fray. In the letters, the author deliberately wrote with a light tone to comfort his distant family, while in the notes, attentive readers can discern more. This selected edition differs from previous compilations. At the beginning of each small volume, we have added texts beyond his past works—miscellaneous essays, diaries, self-reflections, unfinished pieces, primarily letters—all recently collected and organized, most of which have never been published before. Regardless, these chapters either reflect the author's views on society, literary creation, or historical and literary research at the time, or they reveal his circumstances, inner conflicts, joys, sorrows, and frustrations. Publishing them may help readers gain a broader understanding of his works, his character, and the historical context in which he lived.