The Collected Works of Yu Ying-shih. Volume 7: Cultural Criticism and Chinese Sentiment (Part 1)

Author: Yu Ying-shih
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: This book selects a portion of Yu Ying-shih's recent writings on cultural and intellectual issues. These writings were originally published in newspapers and magazines in Taipei and Hong Kong, particularly in China Times, United Daily News, Contemporary, and Ming Pao Monthly. The title of this book, Cultural Criticism and Chinese Sentiment, is not arbitrary. In June 1985, Mr. Dong Qiao planned a special section titled "Chinese Sentiment" for Ming Pao Monthly and strongly invited me to contribute an article. As a result, I wrote A Permanent Resident Is a Mountain, Unable to Bear Witness, which is now included in this collection. However, only one article in the entire book touches on "Chinese sentiment." Why were these four words included in the title? This is because all the cultural criticism included in this book were written under the banner of "Chinese sentiment." I can confidently say that without the influence of my "Chinese sentiment" working in the background, this book would never have been produced.
In the past, people said that every poem by Tao Yuanming contained wine. In this collection, every piece is infused with "Chinese sentiment." This book is a collection of Yu Ying-shih's recent writings on cultural and intellectual issues, carefully selected and edited by Shen Zhijia. These writings were originally published in newspapers and magazines in Taipei and Hong Kong, particularly in China Times, United Daily News, Contemporary, and Ming Pao Monthly. The so-called "Chinese sentiment" is essentially a complex emotional attachment to Chinese culture. This sentiment has long existed among the ancients. In his letter Reply to Su Wu, Li Ling wrote, "To be far away in a foreign land is a sorrow shared by the ancients; gazing at the wind and longing for home, how can one not feel attached?" This already captures the essence of this sentiment. Although Li's letter is considered spurious, its emotional depth cannot be faked. Someone like me, who was deeply influenced by Chinese culture in my youth, could never completely forget China. However, this is only a cultural attachment and has no necessary connection to political realities. While some parts of the writings in this book touch on politics, their fundamental stance remains cultural. Culture encompasses politics while also transcending practical politics—this is one of the central arguments of this book.