Early Globalism and Chinese Literature
Early Globalism and Chinese Literature
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Exploring 'early globalism and Chinese literature' through the lens of 'literary diffusion,' this Element analyzes two primary forms. The first is Buddhist literary diffusion, whose revolutionary impact on Chinese language and literature is illustrated through scriptural translation, transformation texts, and 'journey to the West' stories. The second, facilitated diffusion, engages with the maritime world, traced through the seafaring journey of Cinderella stories and the totalizing worldview in literature on Zheng He's voyages. The authors contend that early global literary diffusion left a lasting imprint on Chinese language, literature, and culture. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.
Product details
- Published: March 2026
- Format: Adobe eBook Reader
- ISBN: 9781009272384
- Length: 0 pages
- Availability: This ISBN is for an eBook version which is distributed on our behalf by a third party.
Table of Contents
- Prologue
- Part I. Buddhism and Literature: Introduction
- 1. Buddhist Translation and the Chinese Language 2. Bianwen ('Transformation Texts') and Their Importance
- 3. Buddhism, the Literary World, and the 'Journey to the West' Stories
- Part II. Sea and Story: Introduction
- 4. Maritime Circulation of the Cinderella Story
- 5. Voyages of Zheng He: The World in Ming Literature
- Epilogue.
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Figure A3 Itinerary of Xuanzang_grey
Figure captions
Figure A1 Faxian_Route_Map_Final black and white
Figure A4 Indian_Ocean_final black and white
Figure A2 spread of Buddhism in Asia
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- Latest accessibility assessment date: 2026-01-27
