2014, Vol., No.25

The Journal of Chinese Cultural Studies 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.44

pISSN : 1598-8503 / eISSN : 2714-0067
https://journal.kci.go.kr/cccs

Finding Beauty in the Ugly and Strange: A Study of the Origin of Petromania in Tang China during the First Half of the Ninth Century This paper examines aesthetic issues related to the Lake Tai rocks, ugly and strangestones that were celebrated as valuable items in Chinese garden culture. The underlying purpose of the study is to better understand the origin of petromania literature starting during the first half of the ninth century of Tang China. More importantly, it contributes to a deeper appreciation of the relationship between beauty and ugliness in Chinese literati’s thoughts. Based on existing sources, “A Pair of Rocks,” written by Bo Juyi in 826, is the first poem of the Lake Tai rocks in the history of Chinese literature. The poet was sympathetic toward its ugly and strange configurations. In 839, however, only twelve years after the poem was written, Bo Juyi, Liu Yuxi, and Niu Sengru gathered in Niu's rock garden and expressed unanimous acclaim of the stone as a rarity. Such change of perception shows that the Lake Tai rocks began to be appreciated as an aesthetic object. The cult of the Lake Tai rocks is vividly described in “The Record of the Lake Tai Rocks,” a prose account written by Bo Juyi in 843. This account reveals Bo's intentions to defend Liu's obsessive collection of the rocks but it still contains important content, such as categorization and rank of rocks, aesthetic standards, and circumstances during that period. My study of ninth-century petromania suggests that there is no absolute distinction between the beautiful and the ugly, and that a sense of beauty may change depending on time and circumstances.

The reason why we are worthy of notice on <The Women warrior> which was written based on the Chinese character “Mulan”(<Mulanshi(木蘭詩)>) in minority discourse is that it has cultivated important cultural domains in modern society in which subject and discourse of minority have been raised and America society which has multiethnic and multicultural aspects. Mythical heroine named Mulan suggested that minority women should challenge to acquire new life through the overcoming of pain, which assured that minorities had ability and potential power. Due to the unique literary characteristics and tendencies of Mulan, it propounded the social messages such as femininity, ethnicity, sociality, popularity entertaining, and convoyed them to the public, moreover to build the unique literary domain. That kind of qualities were combined with her feature of minority and created a synergy effect. It was incredibly inspired that Mulan as a social minority icon who was belonging to equestrian culture and nomadic tribes not a part of Confucian culture was realized a person who could not only resolve conflicts and but also as an ideological leader who drove newly positive life as well. Ultimately Mulan declared to assimilate into the America mainstream society, acknowledged herself as a main body of culture who can construct new culture area, reached full growth as a capable person who can change society and culture, and became qualified as a guard who can alert the sovereign majority.

Zhu Xi's interpretation on “illustrious virtue” on the basis of original Confucian classics in Pre-Qin dynasty, the interpretation with original Confucian classics are preserve the unanimity, and increase Neo-Confucianism's viewpoint. He interpret “illustrious virtue” with “reason”. The interpretation as follows: First, he advocates illustrious virtue are heavenly order and Not ignorance of void and bright. Second, he think that illustrious virtue are conscience and good conscience. Third, he think that illustrious virtue possess noumenal function, also possess the status in metaphysics of morals. Zhu Xi's interpretation on “illustrious virtue” receive Neo-Confucianist's succession and development. It makes Zhu Xi's “illustrious virtue” interpretation possess classical status on interpretation in the historyof Chinese philosophy. Zhu Xi's succession of the pre-Qin Confucian “illustrious virtue” idea, he acknowledged the possibility of moral practice and good of human nature. He believes that “illustrious virtue ” as the mandate of heaven, therefore, we haveto practice the mandate of heaven. Wang Fuzhi's also pre-Qin Confucian “illustrious virtue” idea, and played his own pointof view. Wang Fuzhi the “moral” classified into innate virtue and morality of the day after tomorrow. Zhu Xi's “Matilda” and “de” the possibility of him “Matilda” is Heaven, “de” is the practice of heaven. Wang Fuzhi underscores “de” the day after tomorrow the cultivation process, in his view, the “de” is a conscious and ethical behavior. To sum up, I think of Zhu Xi's “illustrious virtue” interpretation has a negative side, instead of Wang Fu-Zhi's “illustrious virtue” interpretation of a positive side. This is consistent with their philosophy and cultural conceptions, Zhu Xi's scholar is a comprehensive and innovative scholar Wang Fuzhi was in turn, it affects their “illustrious virtue,” understanding and interpretation. In any case, their “illustrious virtue” interpretation is influenced later Confucianism of “illustrious virtue,” understanding and explanation of the thought of. Both “illustrious virtue” thought research pending follow-up studies.