Abstract: Playful writings are relatively less researched on in Chinese literary criticism, compared with the more exuberant discussions such as the parody theory in the Western literary tradition. This paper takes as example the parodizations of Du Fu's poems in the Song dynasty to explore the parodical writing and its implications in the reception of canonical poetry. As Du Fu's poetry was canonized in the Song Dynasty, increasingly more parodies of Du Fu's poems were seen. The popularity and publicity of Du Fu's poetry prompted the parodization, while his unique style and textual features became the basis for parodies, both of which were reflected in the parodical writings. One notable case is Su Shi's sequelto Du Fu's "Ballad of Beautiful Ladies." By deliberately violating the principles of ancient hermeneutics, Su Shi purposely misread "The Ballad of Beautiful Ladies" to reconstruct the image of Du Fu in his sequel to Du Fu's poem. The parodization of canonical writings such as Du Fu's poems was interwoven with some traditional practices in folk entertainment such as the playful ridicules, insinuated mockery, etc. The functions of literary texts are transformed by entertainment needs, and the impact of canonical writings spreads beyond their traditional field of influence to such fields as folk culture, daily life, and social public opinions.

Key words: classics, parody, Du Fu, the Song-dynasty poetry, A Sequel to the Ballad of Beautiful Ladies