Theoretical Research on Comparative Literature in Mainland, Taiwan, and Hong Kong: Comparative Literature Series

Author: Deng Shizhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Since the second half of the 20th century, with the advancement of technology, cooperation among countries in fields such as economy, culture, communication, and transportation has continuously strengthened, and the call for global integration has grown increasingly louder. At the same time, an opposing voice has also risen, which is the demand for nationalism and localization. Comparative literature, though having a rather long history in China, can be traced back to the late Qing Dynasty or even earlier. However, that was a period where tradition was cut off, and it had no direct connection with the later development of comparative literature in the three regions of Taiwan, Hong Kong, and mainland China. The development of comparative literature in the three regions, however, is a matter of the past three decades. Thirty years may seem like a blink of an eye, but in this blink, there have been profound changes, enough to evoke sighs of sorrow! The comparative literature of Taiwan flourished from the early 1970s to the mid-1980s, while that of Hong Kong thrived from the early 1980s to the late 1980s. Currently, both have entered a period of decline, with the scenery becoming increasingly bleak.