| Research on Dunhuang popular literature is no less than the great discovery of the New World, and its prosperity is also deep rooted in the academic development of China. The external causes included the input of western thoughts and the great treasures in Dunhuang found by the western explorers, such as Aurel Stein, Paul Pelliot. The internal causes were the study on the history and geography of North-west China, the crisis of textual research, the influence of new academic materials, and the transformation from elite culture to popular culture. Those diverse factors helped to accumulate research materials and make a good psychological preparation for the study on Dunhuang popular literature, so that the transitional scholars from Qing Dynasty to the Republic of China were able to accept and study Dunhuang materials much more easily and without too much psychological burden.1909~1917 is the early development of Dunhuangology, which mostly concentrated on the collection and publication of Dunhuang literature conducted by Luo Zhenyu, Wang Renjun, Jiang Fu etc. The main feature of this stage was to continue studying the history and geography of North-west China, and focused on the revision of Four Encyclopedias.1917~1927 is the interactive stage of the study on Dunhuang popular literature and the development of New Culture Movement. The center of Dunhuangology in this stage switched from Four Encyclopedias to popular literature. Actually, New Culture Movement had an important influence on the beginning and development of Dunhuang popular literature. And the study on Dunhuang popular literature in depth and width promoted New Culture Movement and provided the “historical” proof that the vernacular literature had long been the orthodox in Chinese literature. Scholars can see the real folk literature through the publication of Dunhuang lingshi written by Luo Zhenyu and Dunhuang duosuo written by Liu Fu, which provided a great number of materials for the study on Dunhuang popular literature. The studies on Dunhuang popular literature of Wang Guowei, Hu Shih, Zheng Zhenduo and other well-known masters reflected the features of New Culture Movement. In addition to the above-mentioned masters, a great number of other scholars influenced by New Culture contributed to the academic development of China.It is the development of the study on Dunhuang popular literature between 1927 and 1937 that consolidated and applied the concepts of New Culture Movement. As a pioneer of New Culture Movement, Hu Shih tended to go back in history to prove today?s views” in the study on Dunhuang popular literature, which was also related to his views on vernacular literature history. He traced back to Dunhuang manuscripts to prove vernacular literature holds the authentic and orthodox position in Chinese literature. The final purpose of Hu Shih is to “rebuild civilization”. Gu Jiegang?s study on history and folk tale was inspired by Hu Shih?s research method of historical evolution. Gu Jiegang illustrated Meng Jiangnv?s story from the angle of history, which became a paradigmatic study. This method formed an academic atmosphere and had an important influence on the research methods of Dunhuang popular literature. The studies of Rong Zhaozu, Qian Nanyang, Zhang Shoulin, Wang Chongmin etc. on Dunhuang popular literature were, to some extent, influenced by Gu Jiegang. The study on Dunhuang Bianwen gradually shifted from the postscripts of the manuscripts to the evolution of the stories. Gu Jiegang?s research paradigm of story contributed a lot to the study on Dunhuang popular literature: he studied folk tales from the angle of historical evolution, which enhanced the position of popular literature; in New Culture Movement, scholars paid more attention to the folk culture; he inherited and developed “The Double Evidence Methodology”. |
PDF Full Text Request