A Hundred Years of Chinese Literary History (1898-1999)

Author: Chen Liao / Cao Huizhuang, Editors
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1998-08-01
Features: Since 1988, when Chen Sihe and Wang Xiaoming proposed the concept of "Rewriting Literary History," the idea has taken root deeply in academia. Scholars have made various attempts to explore it, including re-evaluating and reinterpreting writers and works, compiling popular literary histories, studying the literary histories of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, as well as discussing topics related to literary production, such as publishing and printing industries. These efforts have opened up new spaces for literary history research. However, a comprehensive literary history theory that encompasses all these aspects is still eagerly anticipated. As the tumultuous and transformative 20th century draws to a close and the dawn of the new century faintly appears, people look back at the past century with a sense of sorrow and reflection: it was a brilliant century, but also a challenging era! Over the past hundred years, Chinese writers have never ceased their thinking, exploration, and struggles. The historical development of Chinese literature has left them with a glorious legacy and profound foundations. In the century dedicated to creating new brilliance, they have also left countless winding footprints and vibrant achievements. Whether living in any historical period or writing in any region, the yellow-skinned, black-eyed descendants of the Yellow River have shared the square characters inherited from their ancestors, contributing their hearts and minds to promoting Chinese culture. They have added luster to 20th-century Chinese literature and etched their names into the annals of the century. How to summarize this new legacy of Chinese literature? As the turn of the century approaches, this question has been posed to all scholars whose academic lives are dedicated to researching the past century of literature.