“Special Form of Huajian Lyric” and Shu-Yue Trade Activities in the Late Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties

Abstract

The “special form of Huajian Lyric” 花间别调 stands in contrast to the “original form of Huajian Lyric” 花间本色. The definition of the connotation of “special form of Huajian Lyric” should begin with its subject matter and content, followed by an examination of its stylistic features and techniques. The originator of the “special form of Huajian Lyric” was Huangfu Song 皇甫松, and its main body consists of a group of Lyrics of Local Customs in Nanyue 南粤风土词, comprising 35 lyrics by five lyricists across three generations. Among them, Li Xun 李珣 is the representative lyricist of Lyrics of Local Customs in Nanyue. The rise of Lyrics of Local Customs in Nanyue was an important literary phenomenon during the late Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties, closely connected with the trade exchanges between Shu 蜀 and Yue 粤 regions at the time. Trade between Shu and Yue was relatively frequent in the late Tang and Five Dynasties, with both water and land routes. As a result, literati from the Shu region were able to travel to Nanyue, where they were inspired by the unique scenery of Lingnan 岭南. This altered the traditional prejudices toward Lingnan and introduced fresh subject matter into Huajian Lyric while also prompting a new understanding of the image of women in Nanyue, thereby breaking through the conventional representations of women in Huajian Lyric. The “Bamboo Branch Lyric” 竹枝词, a form of folk songs in Bashu 巴蜀, which was transmitted to Lingnan via the Shu-Yue trade routes, influenced the Lyrics of Local Customs in Nanyue in terms of content, form, and musical style.

Keywords

special form of Huajian Lyric / Lyrics of Local Customs in Nanyue / trade

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