Journal of Sinology and Chinese Language Education

Book Review: Tian Yuan Tan, Songs of Contentment and Transgression

2026-02-07T12:16:28+07:00

Book Review

Tian Yuan Tan, Songs of Contentment and Transgression: Discharged Officials and Literati Communities in Sixteenth-Century North China. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Asia Center, 2010, 293 pp.

After Incommensurability: Articulating Hong Kong Identity in Fictions of Leung Ping-kwan

2026-02-06T15:30:46+07:00

This essay investigates two fictions by Hong Kong writer Leung Ping-kwan. The early work, Paper Cuts (1982), was written in the late 1970s, while the later work, Postcolonial Affairs of Food and the Heart (2011), was composed around the turn of the millennium. The question of Hong Kong identity has always been a focal point in Leung Ping-kwan’s work. Therefore, this paper focuses on the author’s perspectives and reflections on identity crisis in these two novels. In Paper Cuts, the exploration of incommensurability has been analyzed as a colonial cultural predicament in the Cold War context to understand Leung Ping-kwan’s perspective at the time. The two female protagonists exhibit a schizophrenic double consciousness, serving as an allegory for the social landscape that reveals the communication barriers among colonial subjects. Furthermore, it is emphasized that reading incommensurability must prioritize its constituting conditions, where the linguistic complexity, the colonial order, and the Cold War structure overly determine this incommensurability. When interpreting Postcolonial Affairs of Food and the Heart, it is argued that the vernacular cosmopolitanism presented in the text as a solution to the identity crisis addressed in the earlier work, with its formal and thematic representation. It reads Leung’s food writing in terms of the dialectic of appetite and digestion, which involves an excessive description of the world and local cuisine, implying the inclusivity and hybridity embedded in Hong Kong culture and daily life.

From Mythos to Logos: A Comparative Study of Rational Discourse in Ancient Greece and Ancient China

2026-02-06T15:57:12+07:00

This article investigates the relationship between mythos and logos through a comparative study of ancient Greek and ancient Chinese intellectual traditions. It argues that logos did not arise from a radical break with myth but through gradual processes of reinterpretation and rational transformation. In Greece, philosophical reflection from the sixth century BCE onward progressively differentiated rational discourse from mythic narrative, yet myth persisted as a philosophically reworked element. In early China, by contrast, no sharp opposition between myth and rationality emerged; instead, mythic traditions were historicized, ethically reinterpreted, and integrated into cosmological and political frameworks, notably through concepts such as Heaven and the Mandate of Heaven. The article highlights an “inverted euhemerism,” whereby Greek tradition mythologized history, while Chinese tradition historicized mythology. The comparison reveals two distinct patterns of rational development: critical differentiation in Greece and cumulative, practical integration in China.

An Analysis of Publication of Academic Monographs and Development Trends in Premodern Chinese Literature Studies in Hong Kong over the Past Three Decades

2026-02-06T16:31:12+07:00

In recent years, a number of outstanding research achievements in premodern Chinese literature have been published in Hong Kong, a distinctive academic arena. These works reflect the unique scholarly orientation of classical literary studies in Hong Kong and highlight a pathway for academic exchange: some monographs are disseminated from Hong Kong as a “hub,” flowing either into mainland China or overseas. Consequently, Hong Kong has become a vital window for dialogue and exchange between domestic and international classical literary scholarship. This article takes several publishing houses in Hong Kong as case studies, systematically reviewing their publication activities related to classical literature over the past three decades. It analyzes trends in topics, academic approaches, as well as the authors and audiences of these publications, aiming to offer insights into the dynamics of classical literary research both within and beyond China and to illuminate the landscape of classical literary studies in Hong Kong.

An Analysis of Natural Symbols in the Poem “The Song of Everlasting Sorrow”

2025-08-29T15:57:42+07:00

This qualitative research aimed to examine the use of natural symbols in the Poem The Song of Everlasting Sorrow (Changhen ge) through the lens of symbolic theory. The study employed documentary research and presented the findings descriptively. A total of 28 symbolic expressions related to natural elements were identified and categorized into four groups: (1) humans – 8 terms representing beauty and sorrow; (2) animals – 2 terms symbolizing love and hope; (3) objects – 12 terms reflecting loneliness, longing, love, happiness, farewell, and despair; and (4) imaginary elements and emotions – 9 terms symbolizing love, happiness, beauty, and longing. This study contributes to the enrichment of literary knowledge, particularly in the dimension of symbolic interpretation, and highlights the values and aesthetic beauty embedded in The Song of Everlasting Sorrow, offering a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the poem.

A Study on the Variations of the Image of Monk Han-shan in China, Japan and USA

2026-02-06T18:14:22+07:00

This article explores the cross-cultural dissemination of Han-shan’s image in China, Japan, and the United States, highlighting its transformations in various cultural settings. In China, influenced by Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism, Han-shan evolved from an enigmatic recluse to a poetic monk. In Japan, through Buddhist transmission, he became a Zen symbol and was canonized through annotations and art. In the United States, during the era of the “Beat Generation,” he was reborn as a counter-cultural icon, leading to the canonization of his poems in English. The success of his image's spread lies in its inherent cultural openness and diverse cultural interpretations, offering insights into cultural symbol dissemination and literary translation.

An Analysis of Semantic Features and Formal Collocations of the Commonly Confused Words Xiāngxìn and Xìnrèn

2026-02-06T18:31:44+07:00

There is some research on the two confusing words xiāngxìn and xìnrèn in academic circles. This paper analyzes the semantic characteristics of xiāngxìn in detail; that is, xiāngxìn has the characteristics of a definition of belief, and the object has the characteristics of probability. The objects with clauses after Wo xiāngxìn can be divided into five types: consistency of related things, unprovable category, superficial contradiction category, prayer category, and inheritance and ellipsis category. This paper also makes a detailed investigation into the usage of xìnrèn as a noun. In addition, based on the pattern grammar method, we investigate the similarities and differences of xiāngxìn and xìnrèn from the aspects of adverb categories, personal pronouns acting as objects, and related noun categories. Finally, the article tries to re-analyze xiāngxìn and xìnrèn to supplement the existing achievements.

The Mechanisms and Strategies of Teaching Chinese Grammar to L2 Learners from the Perspective of Deep Learning

2026-02-07T10:52:29+07:00

Teaching Chinese grammar to second language (L2) learners requires not only teaching grammar knowledge, but also developing grammar skills. How to balance the learning of knowledge and the development of skills is the key issue to address in teaching Chinese grammar to L2 learners. Deep learning places knowledge learning in situational transfer and problem solving, providing a unique perspective for bridging the gap between knowledge and skills. Guided by the concept of deep learning, this article defines the deep learning in Chinese L2 grammar as a process that progresses from understanding to expression, from form to meaning, and from isolation to a systematic grasp. Use is a key factor in promoting deep learning of Chinese grammar. The mechanism of grammar teaching that promotes deep learning is recreating the usage even of the target grammatical structure in the classroom. Chinese L2 grammar teaching can adopt an expression-oriented approach, which involves analyzing usage from the perspective of use, designing teaching activities grounded in usage events, guiding learners to build knowledge through application, refining their Chinese L2 grammartical system, and ultimately enabling them to apply Chinese grammar to real-world expression.

Current State, Challenges, and Reflections on the Overseas Dissemination of Chinese Culture Amidst the Short-Video Wave

2026-02-07T11:12:16+07:00

In recent years, the global rise of the short-video wave, represented by TikTok, has opened a new pathway for the overseas dissemination of the Chinese language and culture. Its characteristics of low entry barrier, fragmented dissemination, and high entertainment value help transcend language barriers, intuitively present an authentic and multifaceted image of Chinese culture to a broader global audience, and mitigate cognitive biases. However, the current practices of official Chinese language teaching institutions, which serve as the main agents of this cultural dissemination, on short-video platforms have yet to fully leverage the medium’s advantages for “culture going global.” Their lagging adaptation constrains the effectiveness of Chinese language and cultural propagation. This study focuses on the intersection of short-video media features and the cultural dissemination mission of these language institutions. It analyzes the root causes of existing problems, proposing the need to abandon the traditional “output-driven” mindset and instead construct a new media-centric communication paradigm. It emphasizes the necessity for pragmatic and audience-oriented operations. By optimizing account development, content strategy, and impact evaluation, the potential of these institutions for cultural communication on short-video platforms can be activated. This approach aims to more effectively serve the international promotion of Chinese language, foster cultural understanding, and advance the process of Chinese language internationalization.

The Construction and Implementation of Chinese “Intangible Cultural Heritage” Curriculum in International Chinese Education in Thailand

2026-02-07T11:31:33+07:00

This study is based on the Framework of Reference for Chinese Culture and Society in International Chinese Language Education. Guided by multicultural education theory and theme-based teaching methodology, it focuses on the innovative application of Chinese intangible cultural heritage (ICH) in international Chinese education in Thailand. Leveraging the China Cultural Exhibition Center at the Confucius Institute in Chiang Mai, Thailand, the research team integrated ICH themes into Chinese language teaching through cultural salons, lectures, and workshops. The approach was tailored to local educational needs, emphasizing cultural experience and practical engagement while constructing an ICH teaching system characterized by “clear levels, diversified classrooms, organic integration, bidirectional cultural exchange, and collaborative teaching.” The study also innovatively developed ICH-themed cultural courses across beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, covering topics such as tea culture, calligraphy, and tie-dye. A comprehensive and systematic collection of lesson plans was also produced. The findings indicate that the ICH cultural courses effectively promoted the dissemination of outstanding Chinese traditional culture in Thailand, strengthened Sino-Thai cultural exchange and mutual understanding, and provided a sustainable development pathway for international Chinese education.