An Examination of the Taoist Color of the Five Ping-hua Stories of the Yuan Dynasty Li Yi Ya
Abstract 147 The purpose of this essay is to examine the impact of Taoism on the five Ping-hua stories of the Yuan dynasty and the interactions between them. Taoism was extremely popular in the Yuan dynasty and the five Ping-hua stories of the Yuan dynasty have occupied an important place in the history of Chinese vernacular literature. The writing format and style of these Ping-hua stories paved a way for the later development of the Yen-i stories of the Ming and Ching dynasties. By means of adding Taoist terms, magics, and myths, the Ping-hua stories which were based on historical narratives became lively and full of attractions. Through an thorough examination of the Taoist terms, magics, myths in these five stories, this essay not only demonstrates how Taoism was used by the Ping-hua writers but also proves that these Ping-hua stories had their origin in south China. The five Ping-hua stories were another good example in showing the close relationship between religion and Chinese vernacular literature. Key wordstaoism, Zheng-i Sect, Wu-lei Sect, Ping-hua, Yuan-kan-wu-zhong-ping-hua 148
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J.I. Crump, Ping-hua and the Early History of the San-kuo Chih, JAOS, Vol.LXXI, 1951, pp.249-255; Wilt L. Idema, Chinese Vernacular Fiction: the formative periodleiden: E.J. Brill, 1974, p.86. 157
John Bishop, The colloquial short story in China: A Study of San-yen Collections Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1965, p.11; Cycil Brich, Stories From a Ming CollectionBloomington: Indiana University Press, 1959, pp.10-11 Vena Hrdlickova,The Professional Training of Chinese Storytellers and the Story- tellers Guilds, Archiv Orientalni, Vol,33, No.2, 1965, pp.225-248. Wilt L. Idema, Chinese Vernacular Fiction: the formative period, p.86; Patrick Hanan, The Chinese Short StoryCambridge: Harvard University Press, 1975. Jaroslav Prusek, The Origins and Authors of the Hua-penPrague: Academia, 1967. Meng-voon Wong, Sung-Yuan Vernacular Fiction and Its Conceptual and Stylistic Characteristics (Unpublished dissertation)seattle: University of Washington, 1975. Patrick Hanan, The Early Chinese Short Story: A Critical Theory in Outline, HJAS, No.27, 1967, pp.168-207. 158
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Ping-hua and the Early History of the San-kuo Chih, pp.249-255; Wilt L. Idema, Chinese Vernacular Fiction: the formative period, p.86. 162
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John Bishop, The colloquial short story in China: A Study of San-yen CollectionsCambridge: Harvard University Press, 1965 Cycil Brich, Stories From a Ming CollectionBloomington: Indiana University Press, 1959 Vena Hrdlickova,The Professional Training of Chinese Storytellers and the Story- tellers Guilds, Archiv Orientalni, Vol,33, No.2, 1965, pp.225-248. Wilt L. Idema, Chinese Vernacular Fiction: the formative period Patrick Hanan, The Chinese Short StoryCambridge: Harvard University Press, 1975. Jaroslav Prusek, The Origins and Authors of the Hua-penPrague: Academia, 1967. Meng-voon Wong, Sung-Yuan Vernacular Fiction and Its Conceptual and Stylistic Characteristics (Unpublished dissertation)seattle: University of Washington, 1975. Patrick Hanan, The Early Chinese Short Story: A Critical Theory in Outline, HJAS, No.27, 1967, pp.168-207. J.I. Crump, Ping-hua and the Early History of the San-kuo Chih, Wilt L. Idema, Chinese Vernacular Fiction: the formative period. 176
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