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The Discourse System of the Qing Loyalists: a Case Study of "Zhenyuan Courtiers"

Pan Jingru   

  1. the Literature Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences
  • Online:2018-03-25 Published:2018-10-19
  • About author:Pan Jingru is a postdoctoral scholar and assistant researcher in the Literature Research Institute of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, with research interest in classical Chinese poetics.

Abstract: The Qing loyalists' self-writing was consigned in their poetry texts, in which we could reevaluate the adherent phenomenon through close reading. The Qing-loyalists had a discourse system, which reflected their position and even ideology. However, as individuals, their self-expression did not obey the rules of the discourse system, which means that we should reinvestigate the adherent phenomenon and their literary works. "Zhenyuan courtiers", which was often alluded by the Qing loyalists, is a good example for the reinvestigation. As a classical allusion, on the one hand, it implied loyalty. On the other hand, it expressed their reminiscent moods as well as their yearning for traditional civil administration, of which "Tong-Guang" was a symbol.

Key words: the Qing Loyalists, Zhenyuan courtiers, discourse system, Tong-Guang imagination