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Chow Chung-yan

The Fate of Zhuangzi in Modern China 
by Liu Jianmei
Commercial Press (Shanghai)
 
Just as Confucius has been rehabilitated on the mainland, Zhuangzi - the fourth-century BC poet-philosopher - is making a comeback in Chinese culture.
Unlike the revival of Confucianism, which is fully backed by the government, the rediscovery of Zhuangzi is less trumpeted and more spontaneous. While Confucius emphasises social virtues, harmonious order and hierarchy, Zhuangzi's works are far more existential and transcendental. His thinking is individual rather than collective, and his poetic writings have inspired generations of writers.
In many ways, Zhuangzi is an artist philosopher in the same vein as Friedrich Nietzsche, deemed eccentric by the mainstream but loved by writers and artists. For millennia, Confucius was an honoured and revered sage, his teachings publicly embraced by emperors - who might not necessarily believe in them. Many rulers read Laozi for his ideas on the subtle interplay of opposite forces, although few would endorse his teachings in public. Zhuangzi's stress on individualism and transcendental freedom, however, made him a spiritual haven for intellectuals looking to escape omnipresent collectivism.
The reception of Zhuangzi has taken a drastic turn over the past century, his fate closely entwined with that of China. Ever since the Opium War, China had suffered a series of humiliating defeat at the hands of foreign powers. These calamities dealt not only financial and political death blows to the Qing dynasty, but also shocked Chinese civilisation to its core. Chinese intellectuals began to realise for the first time in history that the civilisation they were so proud of was lagging behind foreign powers they used to deem inferior.
The shock was so profound we can still feel its impact today. Following the Qing dynasty's demise, many Chinese intellectuals attacked traditional values and thinking - some advocated that only total westernisation could save and rejuvenate the country.
Meanwhile, outside threats provided fertile ground for the growth of nationalism - arguably the most powerful force in shaping China's destiny.
Such intellectual fermentation reached its climax during the May Fourth Movement in 1919. Suddenly, Zhuangzi's preaching sounded irrelevant, almost callous. Writer Lu Xun mercilessly criticised the philosopher, and other writers such as Guo Moruo, who once held him in high esteem, later publicly denounced him.
It was not until the 1980s that the Chinese rediscovered their love for Zhuangzi as the mainland finally emerged from the mania of the Cultural Revolution and embraced the open-door policy. Individualism, freedom and transcendence beyond good and evil are back in vogue. Hence, Zhuangzi has become popular again.
In her new book The Fate of Zhuangzi in Modern China, author Liu Jianmei does a thorough job recounting the ebbs and flows of the poet-philosopher. Liu, who teaches contemporary Chinese literature at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, spent nearly 10 years writing her book after conducting exhaustive research into Chinese classics and modern Chinese literary works.
The book gives a historic overview of people's reception of the ancient sage since the May Fourth Movement. In many ways, this epitomises the rediscovery of individualism.
The book is structured around Liu's analysis of major modern Chinese writers' takes on Zhuangzi. They include the founders of modern Chinese literature Hu Shi and Lu Xun, as well as contemporary authors such as Liu Xiaofeng, Han Shaogong and Gao Xingjian, who is perhaps Zhuangzi's most kindred spirit in modern Chinese literature.
Readers interested in Zhuangzi will undoubtedly enjoy Liu's erudition on the subject and her critical analysis of modern writers' (mis)interpretations of the philosopher.
Most importantly, the book provides a historical context that enables readers to understand why great masters such as Hu Shi would have such a radical read of Zhuangzi: Hu compared the ancient sage's teaching to Darwin's evolution theory. Indeed, every reading is a reconstruction and our understanding of a subject is always influenced by the greater historical and political environment we live in.
Liu writes in her preface that there will be an English version of this book soon. With so many western readers taking an interest in Confucius today, few truly read or understand Zhuangzi. His influence on Chinese culture may be more subtle, but it is no less important.


Book review: 'The Fate of Zhuangzi in Modern China' by Liu Jianmei

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Just as Confucius has been rehabilitated on the mainland, Zhuangzi - the fourth-century BC poet-philosopher - is making a comeback in Chinese culture.
