@article{ART003341627},
author={Yu, Kyung-chul},
title={A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’},
journal={The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China},
issn={1738-0502},
year={2026},
number={80},
pages={259-290},
doi={10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010}
TY - JOUR
AU - Yu, Kyung-chul
TI - A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’
JO - The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China
PY - 2026
VL - null
IS - 80
PB - Korean Society of Study on Chinese Languge and Culture
SP - 259
EP - 290
SN - 1738-0502
AB - The Chinese Web novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ can be described as an adventure story about ‘Mojin Xiaowei(摸金校尉)’ Hu Bayi(胡八一) and his companions’s tomb-robbing exploits. Its entire narrative is composed of stories concerning ‘the activities of tomb robbers and their field’, ‘adventures in parallel realms’, and ‘The verification of rumors and legends, and the uncovering of the truth behind unknown facts’. Based on various historical records and theories related to tomb-robbing and Feng Shui(風水) geography, author ‘Tianxia-Bachang(天下覇唱)’ imagined ‘the activities of tomb robbers and their field’ by integrating their ‘daotou(倒斗)’ practices and Feng Shui techniques. This is the most essential element that enabled the birth of a new sub-genre of novels known as ‘tomb-robbing fiction’. ‘Adventures in parallel realms’ constitute the core narrative of ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light’, given that the work is essentially a kind of adventure story. These adventures consist of entering parallel realms, encountering bizarre lifeforms, and experiencing surreal and uncanny situations. In particular, meetings with or contact involving ghosts and spirits reveal a distinctive characteristic of ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light’, setting it apart from other adventure stories. ‘The verification of rumors and legends, and the uncovering of the truth behind unknown facts’ is a crucial activity carried out by Hu Bayi and his companions during their tomb-raiding adventures, indicating that the narrative of ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light’ falls within the realm of detective or mystery fiction. However, the process of collecting and deciphering clues and evidence in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light’ is often underdeveloped, and the revealed truths tend to be crude and contrived, exposing certain narrative limitations.
KW - The Chinese Web novel(中國網絡小說);Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈);Tianxia-Bachang(天下覇唱);tomb-robbing fiction(盜墓小說);‘Mojin Xiaowei(摸金校尉)’;Feng Shui(風水)
DO - 10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
ER -
Yu, Kyung-chul. (2026). A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’. The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China, 80, 259-290.
Yu, Kyung-chul. 2026, "A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’", The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China, no.80, pp.259-290. Available from: doi:10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
Yu, Kyung-chul "A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’" The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China 80 pp.259-290 (2026) : 259.
Yu, Kyung-chul. A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’. 2026; 80 : 259-290. Available from: doi:10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
Yu, Kyung-chul. "A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’" The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China no.80(2026) : 259-290.doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
Yu, Kyung-chul. A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’. The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China, 80, 259-290. doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
Yu, Kyung-chul. A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’. The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China. 2026; 80 259-290. doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
Yu, Kyung-chul. A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’. 2026; 80 : 259-290. Available from: doi:10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
Yu, Kyung-chul. "A Study of the Chinese Web Novel ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light(鬼吹燈)’ — Focusing on the Genre Characteristics of the Main Narrative Elements in ‘Ghost Blows Out the Light: The Lost City of Ancient Western China(鬼吹燈:精絶古城)’" The Journal of Study on Language and Culture of Korea and China no.80(2026) : 259-290.doi: 10.16874/jslckc.2026..80.010
