National Classics: Fu

Author: Chen Hongzhi
Publisher:
Publish 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 exceptionally 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 associated with grand and prosperous feudal dynasties of certain periods, becoming cultural benchmarks of their time. The rise of Fu is a long-standing tradition. Poems by officials ascending high places, witty remarks by entertainers, eloquent discourses by wandering scholars, and lyrical verses by Qu Yuan—when all these were synthesized, they gave rise to 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, uninterrupted for over two thousand years. Since the May Fourth Movement, the notion of "the heresy of Tongcheng and the demon of selection studies" has spread widely, with even harsher criticism directed at Fu, leading to the decline of this once celebrated discipline. By today, it has become a lost art. Reflecting on the end and honoring the past, is this not a tragedy? The flaws of Fu need no concealment, its decline need no denial, but its extinction must be addressed. It is with this book that we hope, not to revitalize this art overnight, but to partially compensate for the shortcomings of predecessors and avoid the shame of forgetting our 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 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.