Overview of the Ideological Content and Artistic Features of Overseas Couplets

Abstract

       Overseas couplets are mainly practical, engraved or hung in shrines, temples, academies, halls, restaurants and other buildings. Geographically, they are mostly found in the Chinese cultural circles of Southeast Asia and East Asia, which are close to China; and the authors are mainly Chinese, including celebrities who lived abroad for a short time. This paper collects and examines a large number of overseas couplets and finds that their ideological content mainly includes four aspects: first, to recount the history of Chinese struggles; second, to express Chinese homesickness and patriotism; third, to glorify the merits of Chinese deities and sages; and fourth, to spread the core concepts of Chinese culture. In addition, this paper summarizes the outstanding characteristics of overseas couplets in terms of imagery selection, language sources and artistic techniques through literature research.