Professor Lu Shengjiang from Nankai University, who also serves as President of the Chinese Tang Poetry Road Research Association, delivered an academic lecture entitled “How to Deepen and Refine Tang Poetry Road Research” in Classroom 1102 on the morning of May 9. The lecture was hosted by Professor Luo Zhengming, Dean of the School of Humanities of TU.
Professor Lu Shengjiang delivers a lecture
Students and faculty attend the lecture
At the outset of the lecture, Professor Lu introduced the current research status and achievements in Tang Poetry Road studies. This field has gained nationwide scale and yielded fruitful results. Given this momentum, he emphasized the necessity of considering how to deepen and refine Tang Poetry Road research. Professor Lu shared insights on this issue from multiple perspectives, including breaking free from conceptual constraints, highlighting distinctive characteristics, delving deeply into historical sources, tackling substantive problems, and absorbing local scholarship.
Professor Lu pointed out that the first step in Tang Poetry Road research is to determine the research direction. Research should be grounded in actual materials and problems, avoiding starting from abstract concepts or being constrained by them. Researchers should first investigate the problems before defining the concept of the “Tang Poetry Road,” thereby clarifying the research direction. He elaborated on the distinctive features of the Tang Poetry Road, stressing that it is not merely a few poems written along a single route, nor should analysis of these poems alone constitute Tang Poetry Road research. Such cookie-cutter approaches and surface-level descriptions are inadequate. The Tang Poetry Road involves the intersection and integration of multiple disciplines, including literature, historical geography, literary geography, as well as politics, economics, and folklore. Therefore, equating the Tang Poetry Road solely with literary geography is erroneous. Research must proceed from reality, seeking truth from facts, and focus on discovering and highlighting the unique characteristics of the Tang Poetry Road.
He indicated that a defining feature of the Tang Poetry Road is its foundation on the “road,” its focus on the “people,” and its core in “poetry.” The “road” encompasses the natural path, the transportation route, and the cultural journey.
Illustrating transportation routes with the example of Ancient Xie’s Trail, Lu explained that while poets often traveled official roads to visit famous mountains and rivers, the essence of the Tang Poetry Road frequently unfolded on the “last hundred miles” beyond official post stations. Only by studying this “last hundred miles” can we truly grasp the poets’ living experiences and state of mind, and deeply appreciate the emotional resonance and artistic appeal of their poetry along the route.
The “people” are those traveling the poetic road. Research must go beyond tracing poets’ itineraries to deeply examine their living conditions, creative processes, and especially their psychological states during their journeys. Furthermore, it should avoid becoming mere biographical accounts of the writers. Professor Lu exemplified this by stating that research on Li Bai’s poetic journey should not be written as a critical biography of Li Bai; instead, it should study the individuals from the perspective of the poetic road, focusing on their relationship with the route.
The “poetry” is what was created along the road. Studying this poetry cannot simply apply general literary history methodologies. It requires clarifying fundamental questions about the poems, paying attention to new poetic genres or variations arising specifically from the journey, and noting the differences in poetic expression influenced by diverse regional cultures. Professor Lu emphasized that research can start from the road, the people, and the poetry, always closely tied to the “Tang Poetry Road.” It should explore the relationship between the road and the poetry, the road’s influence on the poetry, and the distinctive characteristics of the poetry created along the journey, all from the perspective of the travelers’ living experiences and psychological states.
Furthermore, Professor Lu argued that deepening and refining Tang Poetry Road research necessitates delving deeply into historical sources. He cited the example of tracing Li Bai’s whereabouts during the early An Lushan Rebellion. While other scholars concluded Li Bai fled west from Luoyang to Tong Pass, and then ascended Mount Hua before returning via Shangluo, Professor Lu found their evidence insufficient. Adopting a rigorous, truth-seeking approach, he meticulously analyzed the poetry Li Bai composed along this route. His investigation ultimately pinpointed Li Bai’s actual path through the poem “Fleeing Amidst Chaos, No. 5.” Finally, Professor Lu stressed the importance of integrating academic research from universities with local scholarship, drawing nourishment and insights from the latter.
The “Tang Poetry Road” represents not only a cultural pathway but also a road of revitalization and sustainable development. This lecture provided a valuable learning platform for both faculty and students. From the perspective of the poetic journey, Professor Lu Shengjiang offered valuable theoretical references to guide their studies and research.
