Globalizing Chinese literature: toward a rewriting of contemporary Chinese literary culture

In the age of globalization, intellectuals, writers, critics and literary and cultural studies scholars cannot but take pains to conceive or picture the future orientation of elite literature since elite literature is being challenged by popular literature and culture, and literary studies by Cultural Studies. The present essay tries to describe a new orientation of Chinese literature studies, or more specifically, to observe modern Chinese literature in a broad context of world literature and reach a rewriting of contemporary Chinese literary culture from an international and comparative point of view. In reperiodizing modern Chinese literature, the author points out that in the global age, the new framework of world culture in the twenty-first century is characterized by different cultures coming to dialogue and merging to some degree rather than ‘cultural conflict’. With this broad background, twentieth century Chinese literature should be re-examined from an international and comparative perspective. The paper also points out that rewriting literary history must be associated with issues of canon formation and reformation, that is, to offer new interpretations from theoretical perspectives of canonical literary works. The author discusses several considerations involved in canon selection: reception and market success, recognition of critical circles, and inclusion in university curriculum.