Travel and “Modernity”: A Record of Modern Chinese Literati’s European Travels (1920-1935)

★ Won the first prize in the commentary category of the 5th Zhou Mengdie Poetry Award in Taiwan (originally titled "Overseas Travel and Literary Practice: A Case Study of the European Poets Xu Zhimo, Wang Duqing, and Wang Tongzhao")
★ Recommended by Zhao Jiaqi, Assistant Professor of the Department of Chinese Literature at National Chung Hsing University!

Poets in Europe - Xu Zhimo, Wang Duqing, Wang Tongzhao
Reflection on family and country in an era outside of China!

Since the late Qing Dynasty, pioneering overseas travelers such as Bin Chun, Zhi Gang, Guo Songtao, Zhang Deyi, Xue Fucheng, and Wang Tao, whose trans-boundary movements not only opened up new perspectives on time and space but also subtly transformed the ideological, intellectual, and cultural structures of modern China, leading to increased exchanges between China and the West at all levels. After the Republican era, with the shifting social landscape and the rapid development of transportation, travel was no longer limited to those with special status, such as bureaucrats, merchants, or religious figures. Numerous individuals, particularly students, journeyed to Europe for various reasons and purposes, even establishing a new literary scene in China. Literati of the time viewed "Europe" or "Europa" as essentially synonymous with "the world." Traveling to Europe was like traveling to the world, and vice versa.

Many poets of the Republican era journeyed to Europe. Whether for sightseeing, study abroad, exile, or refuge, they repeatedly challenge our understanding of what it means to travel to Europe, making the literary reflections and inspirations generated during their journeys all the more intriguing. This book focuses on the unique travel experiences of three contemporary poets: Xu Zhimo, Wang Duqing, and Wang Tongzhao. It examines their life stories and literary practices during their European sojourns, and explores the cultural significance of their travels for both their personal and literary lives. Drawing on their literary activities and expressions related to their travels, the book further explores how, through poetry and various literary genres and writing styles, these poets engaged with the world, navigated their lives, and expressed themselves in a rapidly changing era. Their experiences in Europe often pointed not only to innovation and creativity in Chinese poetry, but also to the development of Chinese culture, literature, and genres.

Chen Yijin

Born in Malaysia, he holds a Master of Arts from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. He currently teaches in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Southern University College. His research focuses on modern and contemporary literature, Chinese and Western poetics, and cultural studies. He is the author of the poetry collection "Illusion Number Zero."

Foreword: The "European Tour" and Literary Practice of Literati in the Republican Period◎Zhao Jiaqi3

Chapter 1 Introduction 9
Section 1 Origin: Overseas Travel and Poetry Innovation in the Late Qing Dynasty 10
Section 2 The temporal and spatial background of Republican poets and texts 19
Section 3 Literature Discussion and Explanation 29
Section 4 Research Methods and Paper Structure 47

Chapter 2: Literati’s Travel and the “People”/“Literature” of Travel: Xu Zhimo and His Poetic Construction 55
Section 1 Introduction: Before the Poetic Life 55
Section 2 Young Xu Zhimo's Grand Tour 59
Section 3 The Turn of “Wen” in the European Cultural Atmosphere 70
Section 4 Writings from the First and Second European Tours 80
Section 5: “My Way of Traveling” — The Third European Tour and the Dilemma of Writing (June to October 1928)
Section 6 Summary 111

Chapter 3 The Life Mood of a Traveler: Wang Duqing’s Creation of Exotic Poetry 113
Section 1 Introduction: The Creation Society Poets Who Stayed in Europe 113
Section 2: A Wandering Life: The Journey of Literary Life 118
Section 3 The Image of the Weak: The Advocacy of “Emotion” and the Writing of Melancholy 130
Section 4: Cross-Cultural Poetry 149
Section 5 Summary 170

Chapter 4: Escape/Travel: The Stylistic Expression of Wang Tongzhao’s Travel Poetry and Prose 175
Section 1 Introduction: The Age of Impending “Rain” 175
Section 2: The Interaction between Politics, Literature and Travel in the 1930s 180
Section 3: The “Original Text” of Thought and Poetry: Diary of a European Trip 189
Section 4: "Report" on the Investigation from East to West: Travel Notes 196
Section 5: “Reflections on the Journey”: Old and New Poems 207
Section 6 Summary 235

Chapter 5 Conclusion: Crossing Boundaries, Styles, and Images 239
Reference 253
Appendix: Chronology of the Works and Translations of European Poets (Taking the Subjects of This Book as an Example) 271