East Meets West: How to Let the World See the Chinese Humanism Behind Theatre

-- Interviews with Zhu Hong, Professor at Nanchang University, and Alan McFarlane, Professor of Social Anthropology at Cambridge University　　

As one of the world's great literary giants and dramatists on a par with Shakespeare and Cervantes, Tang Xianzu's masterpiece Four Dreams of Linchuan is an influential work in the history of Chinese and world literature. His life of theatre and dreams is not only the pursuit of love, truth, goodness, and beauty, but also the common eternal pursuit of human society.

Zhu Hong, author of the English edition of Tang Xianzu, professor at Nanchang University and president of the Jiangxi Cultural and Tourism Research and Promotion Association, and Alan McFarlane, author of the book's foreword and professor of social anthropology at Cambridge University, shared their insights on the literary achievements and historical influence of Tang Xianzu and his role in promoting exchange and mutual appreciation between China and other countries in an exclusive interview with East Meets West of China News Service.

CNS: What are the content structure and original intention of the English version of Tang Xianzu, the world's first known complete English translation of the life and achievements of Chinese literary master Tang Xianzu?

Alan McFarlane: The English version of Tang Xianzu is based on Professor Zhu Hong's book, Tang Xianzu in Love and Dreams. The author adopts a linear narrative approach, documenting Tang Xianzu's early childhood, family background, and education in his hometown Linchuan, Jiangxi, his long and tumultuous career as an official in the middle of his life, and his return to his hometown and devotion to creation in the later years of his life. Alongside the profound analysis of Tang Xianzu and his works, this book presents the readers with an honest, open-minded, sincere, and romantic master.

The cover of the English edition of Tang Xianzu.

It is only in recent years that the works of Tang Xianzu and his stories have been disseminated to the general public in the West, and before that, foreigners who knew his works were mainly scholars of Chinese studies. The translation and publication of Tang Xianzu, a detailed biography of his life, has increased foreign readers' understanding of the play's original author and the historical and cultural context of his time. In addition, unlike most biographies that dwell monotonously on his life journey, this book is also a valuable academic reference and can be used by overseas experts and scholars in history, anthropology and art history, facilitating more in-depth research.

CNS: The achievements of Tang Xianzu, except for his plays, lie in his philosophical thinking, humanistic concerns, and personality. What do you think makes Tang Xianzu a brand of Chinese culture? What spiritual connotations have kept him alive beyond time and space?

Zhu Hong: Tang Xianzu's Four Dreams of Linchuan combines love with dreams and expresses his feelings and emotions through dreams. He brought his feelings about life and career, and his dreams to his writing, fully expressing his pursuit and aspiration for social justice, the righteousness of the world, freedom of love, and happiness in marriage. These are humanity's common and eternal pursuits, in line with the shared values of Chinese and Western cultures in different periods. For this reason, under the firmament of human civilisation, Tang Xianzu and his writings have shone brightly for thousands of years - both in the East and in the West, in ancient times and in the present. To this day, there is still much to discover and commemorate in Tang Xianzu.

The portrait of Tang Xianzu in Four Dreams of Linchuan. Photo by Zhong Xin

Concern for human feelings and respect for human nature is the cultural values in Tang Xianzu's spiritual world, which are most revered and recognised by future generations. Fundamentally speaking, the course of literary development is in sync with human nature; the more works reflect human nature, the more they can connect with readers' feelings. Essentially, when Tang Xianzu wrote Four Dreams of Linchuan, he intended to save the world with theatre and to enlighten people with his deepest feelings. By expressing his feelings through his dreams, it is his recognition of the utmost love, truth, goodness, and beauty, his pursuit of an ideal society, and his affirmation of human self-worth that make Tang Xianzu's works reflect an exploration of thought and humanistic concern that transcends time and space, and give rise to contemporary significance.

Unlike Shakespeare's purely theatrical passions, Tang Xianzu's early ideals were Confucian political aspirations of governing the country and leading the world to peace. Despite his difficult career path, he never lost his passion for patriotism and concern for the people, and always kept his sense of mission as an intellectual, striving to practise his ideals in the painful and cramped circumstances of his time. Having experienced the coldness of society and pursued his love and dreams, Tang Xianzu never strayed into ethereal nothingness. The "supreme feeling" he proposed and was revered for by his descendants was never the "only feeling" which the individual or oneself was indulged in, but rather the humanistic concern of the social, the greater self.

The musical Tang Xianzu. Photo by Liu Zhankun

CNS: There are many translations of Shakespeare's works in China, but relatively few translations of Tang Xianzu's works in the UK. How do you think this work will contribute to the global English readers' understanding of Chinese history and culture and build a bridge between Chinese and foreign cultural exchanges?

Zhu Hong: In 2016, China and the UK jointly held a series of events to commemorate the 400th anniversary of the death of Tang Xianzu and Shakespeare, creating a wave of "Tang Xianzu fever", so to speak. In April 2019, the first overseas Peony Pavilion was completed in Shakespeare's hometown of Stratford, England; in September, the Peony Pavilion in Perm, Russia, was completed. The Peony Pavilion is known as an iconic symbol of Tang Xianzu's theatre culture.

In 2016, Fuzhou City, Jiangxi Province, the "hometown of Tang Xianzu", held an event to visit and pay homage to the tomb of Tang Xianzu. A total of more than 300 people, including experts and scholars of Tang Xianzu studies at home and abroad, representatives of foreign guests from Shakespeare's hometown in the UK and Cervantes' hometown in Spain, paid homage to the tomb of Tang Xianzu and laid flowers. Photo by Liu Zhankun

However, we should admit that Tang Xianzu is not as influential as Shakespeare in the world, and the Four Dreams of Linchuan is not as widely disseminated as Shakespeare's works. For example, there are many translations of Shakespeare's works in China, but there are still too few translations of Tang Xianzu's works in the UK.

I hope that the publication of this book will, on the one hand, enable more foreign friends to learn about Tang Xianzu, as well as Chinese history and culture. On the other hand, it will serve as a catalyst for the translation and publication of more works by Tang Xianzu and more works on Jiangxi culture abroad, and make a more significant contribution to promoting the exchange between Chinese and foreign civilisations.

Alan McFarlane: Publications continue to be one of the effective ways of deep cross-cultural communication. If you want to give foreigners an in-depth understanding of Chinese thought, culture, and history, choosing quality books for planning, editing, translation, and publication is essential. A few years ago, I co-founded Cam Rivers Publishing in the UK with my colleagues to build bridges between Chinese and Western cultures. We have collaborated on many book publishing projects with publishers such as the Commercial Press of China and Science and Technology of China Press.

We translate Chinese books into English, or English books into Chinese, and introduce interesting and meaningful ideas from China to overseas, as well as bring the best of foreign ideas to China. We hope that through a multi-faceted mode of cooperation, we can truly achieve exchange and mutual appreciation among civilisations.

The depth and breadth of Chinese knowledge of Shakespeare's literary works is far greater than the British knowledge of traditional Chinese literary works. Tang Xianzu (English version) is a multi-layered, multi-dimensional account of his literary achievements and the social life of his historical era. This allows English-speaking readers worldwide to gain a more complete understanding of Chinese literature and local culture.

The publication project has also aroused the interest of Western researchers, writers, and artists in studying traditional Chinese theatre, thus actively promoting exchanges between China and the UK in literature, theatre, and music.

CNS: In 2017, Fuzhou, Jiangxi, the hometown of Tang Xianzu, launched the "Shakespeare of the East" cultural IP, and has made international theatre festivals, and cultural exchanges with the UK, Spain, Italy, and other countries regular events. What is the significance of extensive participation in the dialogue of world civilisations?

Zhu Hong: Only by looking up to the bright stars of human civilisation, but at the same time stepping on Chinese soil and putting down roots in the excellent traditional Chinese culture, can our literature and art shape the Chinese archetype, forge the Chinese spirit, and create masterpieces of excellence.

It should be said that by carrying out multi-channel, multi-faceted and multi-level cultural exchanges with the world and participating extensively in the dialogue of world civilisations, we can not only fully demonstrate the long-standing history and profoundness of China's excellent traditional culture, but also study and research the highest level of literary and artistic achievements in the world, as well as stimulate the vitality of cultural innovation and creativity of the whole nation so that the world can better understand China and the Chinese people can better understand the world.

The opening gala of the 2022 Fuzhou Tang Xianzu Theatre Festival featured The Peony Pavilion performed in the Xuhe opera style. Photo by Chen Qiang

CNS: Since 2017, you have initiated the "Tang Xianzu International Cultural Exchange" project, which narrates the stories of China in the eyes of overseas friends through various forms of literature, poetry and artistic creation. What is the significance of these cultural exchanges in enhancing people-to-people contact and mutual appreciation between China and other countries?

Alan McFarlane: I have always tried to build bridges between China and the world, so that people can understand each other, interact with each other, and reflect on the development of their own civilisations through understanding each other's civilisations.

We have a long-standing commitment to bringing various forms of Chinese culture to the UK, translating Chinese writings, and inviting Chinese scholars and artists to visit, lecture, exhibit, and perform at Cambridge, including hosting three Kunqu performances, workshops, and art exhibitions at the University. We also regularly visit China with British experts, poets, literary scholars, and artist friends.

The Most Beautiful Blessing, a cultural evening celebrating the 70th anniversary of the founding of New China, was held at the Greenwood Theatre in London in 2019. Pictured is young British-Chinese composer and pianist Yang Yuanfan performing his piano concerto Peony Pavilion - A Dream in the Garden for the first time. Photo by Zhang Anqi

The "Tang Xianzu International Cultural Exchange" project tells the story of Fuzhou, the hometown of Tang Xianzu, through the eyes of overseas friends in various forms. It is rare to see foreigners telling the story of a non-first-tier city in China, unlike a large international city with a significant background. Therefore, it will not only show the different dimensions of the Chinese story and allow Western societies to understand the uniqueness and diversity of China's regions, but also deepen their understanding of the land that gave birth to Tang Xianzu.

The project gives foreigners a greater opportunity to learn about China's urban civilisation and spirit, about the life of Tang Xianzu and the cultural and social life reflected in his works, and meanwhile, allows Chinese people to learn more about the perspectives foreigners use to understand traditional Chinese culture.

Zhu Hong is a professor and doctoral supervisor at Nanchang University. He was a senior visiting scholar and honorary researcher at the Mass Media Research Centre of Leicester University in the UK in 1989. He is a deputy of the 13th National People's Congress, President of the Jiangxi Cultural and Tourism Research and Promotion Association, and Chief Expert of the National Social Science Major Project. His main publications include The Theory of Socialist Ideology, From A Broadcasting-TV Giant to A Broadcasting-TV Power, Jiangxi Tourism and Culture Series, Jiangxi History and Culture Overview, Jiangxi Symbols, Open the Book of Jiangxi, etc.

Alan Macfarlane is Professor of Social Anthropology at the University of Cambridge, a Fellow of King's College, a Fellow of the British Academy, and co-founder of Cam Rivers Publishing. He has taught at Cambridge for over 40 years and is the author of The Origins of English Individualism, The Glass Bathyscaphe, Green Gold: The Empire of Tea, The Culture of Capitalism, and The Riddle of the Modern World, which have been translated into many languages, and many of which are available in Chinese.