From Primitive “Imagery” (Yi-Xiang) to the Humanistic Concepts of “Inspiring Imagery” (Xing-Xiang) and “Entrusting One’s Thoughts and Feelings to Imagery”(Ji-Xiang): The Depiction of Plants in Chinese Literary History

Abstract

In Western civilization, as exemplified by ancient Greece, the primitive imagery of plants ceased to appear in daily life. Nevertheless, in China, the primitive imagery of plants that originated and flourished in primitive times never ceased to prevail even after entering the civilized era. Merged with rationality, it gave rise to the humanistic concepts of “inspiring imagery” (xing-xiang) and “entrusting one’s thoughts and feelings to imagery” (ji-xiang), as represented by the depiction of plants in works like The Book of Odes and Odes of Chu. This was due to China’s unique civilization origin and early civilization development pattern. According to the concepts of “inspiring imagery” and “entrusting one’s thoughts and feelings to imagery” that emerged in the civilized and rational era, individual emotions and independent personalities can inspire or be entrusted to imagery, while imagery represents the racial collective consciousness rooted in the long-standing tradition and imbued with religious, ethical, and political connotations in the context of kinship-based governance. As typical artistic expressions formed during China’s Axial Age, “inspiring imagery” and “entrusting one’s thoughts and feelings to imagery” related to the depiction of plants have significantly contributed to shaping China’s distinctive aesthetic preferences, nourishing literary and artistic creations spanning over two millennia since the Qin and Han dynasties, and forging the cultural and psychological structures of the Chinese nation.

Keywords

imagery / yi-xiang / inspiring imagery / xing-xiang / entrusting one’s thoughts and feelings to imagery / ji-xiang

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2024 Higher Education Press