Wenxin Diaolong — China’s First Large-Scale Work of Literary Criticism

Wenxin Diaolong is a work of literary theory written by Liu Xie, a literary theorist of the Southern Dynasties. It was completed between 501 and 502, during the reign of Emperor He of the Southern Qi dynasty. Comprising 50 chapters, it is the first large-scale work of literary criticism in Chinese history. 

As a work of broad scope and profound thought, Wenxin Diaolong summarizes the experience of literary creation since the pre-Qin period while inheriting and developing the rich legacy of earlier literary theories. It offers penetrating insights into various aspects of literature and establishes a comprehensive theoretical system. Its emergence marked a major milestone in the history of Chinese literary theory and exerted a profound and lasting influence on later generations. The renowned writer Lu Xun considered it comparable to Aristotle’s Poetics.

In its discussions of literary creation, Wenxin Diaolong offers many brilliant and original insights, including the concept of fenggu. Here, feng refers to a work’s power to move its readers, while gu refers to the strength of its language and structure. Both stem from the vitality of the author. An excellent work must possess fenggu, but these qualities must also be complemented by literary grace. A work with fenggu but no literary grace is like a fierce yet unattractive bird of prey; a work rich in literary grace but lacking fenggu is like a brilliantly colored pheasant that cannot fly. Even from this brief overview, we can see that Liu Xie’s understanding of the essence and aesthetic qualities of literature was far more profound than that of his predecessors. 

In short, Wenxin Diaolong significantly advanced the ideas of earlier thinkers and became an unprecedented synthesis of ancient Chinese literary theory. This not only demonstrates Liu Xie’s brilliance, but also marks a significant advancement in the literature of the Southern Dynasties.