Rethinking the Relationship between China and the West through a Focus on Literature and Aesthetics

The multi-dimensional model of cross-cultural research was put forward as an alternative to the model of Sino-western dualism which sees China and the West as two entirely different entities. In order to break with this dualistic model, the spatial dimension should be separated from the temporal dimension, allowing the words “China” and “the West” to recover their original meaning of spatial dimensions. This, in turn, reconceptualises the equal relationship between China and the West, and seeks the possibilities and pathways of cross-cultural understanding and dialogue in a global context.

This book is composed of two parts: the spatial dimension of cross-cultural research and the temporal dimension of cross-cultural research. The first discusses globalization and China’s cultural identity; cross-cultural literary research between China and the West; a circular model of cross-cultural research focusing on literary adaptations; integrating Chinese literature into world literature; appreciating Chinese poetry from a cross-cultural perspective; and the three models of nature appreciation. In part two, the book explores the Book of Changes (周易) from the perspective of modern aesthetics; original Confucianism, literary theory and aesthetics; the Han dynasty’s Confucianism, literary theory and aesthetics; New-Confucianism, literary theory and aesthetic; Beijing city’s culture; and China’s short film and socialistic cultural productions.