Shanshui Aesthetic Conception of Liu Zongyuan: Theoretical Connotations and Historical Contribution

Abstract

Liu Zongyuan’s 柳宗元 shanshui 山水 (landscape) aesthetic conception possess unique theoretical connotations and historical contributions. He establishes his shanshui aesthetic conception on reshaping the relationship between Heaven and humanity, expressing an ideal of shanshui aesthetics that seeks suchness through valuing supreme balance 尚中求实. Hence, Liu’s shanshui poetry and proses blend joy and sorrow, forming a complex aesthetic form. The historical contribution of Liu Zongyuan’s shanshui aesthetic conception can be summarized in four points: First, he elevates scholar-officials’ subjective consciousness, leading to the rise of aesthetic subjectivity in the mid-Tang period; second, he explores the relationship between “appreciation and exploration (of landscapes)” 观游 and “governing” 理政, further comprehending the connection between shanshui aesthetics and politics; third, he injects new qualities into the aesthetics of the Xiaoxiang 潇湘 landscapes, expanding the aesthetic experience of southern regions of the Yangtze River; fourth, Liu Zongyuan’s shanshui aesthetic conception embodies a cosmic consciousness, deepening the theoretical implications of shanshui aesthetics in the mid-Tang period. Liu Zongyuan holds a crucial position in the transformation of shanshui aesthetic conception during that time.

Keywords

Liu Zongyuan / shift in shanshui aesthetic conception / cultural transformation during the Tang and Song dynasties

RIGHTS & PERMISSIONS

Higher Education Press