The Reconstruction of the Subject-Object Relationship in Ancient Shanshui Aesthetics: On Xie Lingyun’s “Rhapsody on Dwelling in the Mountains”

Abstract

Xie Lingyun’s 谢灵运 “Rhapsody on Dwelling in the Mountains” 山居赋 is not only a remarkable literary achievement but also holds significant value in the theoretical discourse on ancient Chinese shanshui 山水 (landscape) aesthetics. It expands the subject object relationship within this aesthetic tradition: Instead of mere contemplation, which became prevalent in the pre-Qin and Han periods, it presents a subject-object relationship that integrates the enjoyment of dwelling and roaming with aesthetic appreciation, reflecting the thoughts on the body-mind relationship and the nature-principle relationship within shanshui aesthetics. The aesthetic distance in the “Rhapsody on Dwelling in the Mountains,” neither too close nor too far, deviates from the rhapsody tradition and the established custom of mountain dwelling. This rhapsody expresses the viewpoint centered on “attaining intention” 意得 and “delighting the heart” 赏心, pioneering a self-fulfilling space 自得之场 transcending and yet grounded in the mundane world, thus influencing the depiction from the subjective spirit in subsequent shanshui aesthetics.

Keywords

shanshui / landscape / Xie Lingyuan / “Rhapsody on Dwelling in the Mountains” / subject-object relationship / aesthetic distance

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Higher Education Press