Xishi Legend
01 · Historical Records
The Xi Shi legend arose in the late Spring and Autumn period, originating in oral folk narration; its earliest written records are seen in the Mozi and the Mencius, and through the oral transmission of successive ages its area of circulation expanded and its content was continually enriched. The legend has a long history and, from its beginnings to the present, a tradition of more than two thousand five hundred years.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Xi Shi ranks first among the four great beauties of ancient China and is the symbol of beauty in traditional Chinese culture. The birthplace of the legend, Zhuji in north-central Zhejiang, was once the ancient capital of the state of Yue in the Spring and Autumn period. Taking the Wu-Yue wars as its historical background and Xi Shi's legendary life as its trunk, and with figure legends (such as Dong Shi Imitating the Frown), place-name legends (such as White Fish Pool), product legends (such as the Chinese Torreya Eye) and custom legends (such as the Three Rivers Mouth Water Lantern) as its branches, the legend from various angles praises Xi Shi's beauty, goodness and spirit of sacrifice in giving herself for her country.
Dong Shi Imitating the Frown
A Xi Shi figure legend about the ugly woman Dong Shi imitating Xi Shi's frown as she held her heart.
White Fish Pool
A place-name legend at Zhuji connected with the Xi Shi legend.
The Chinese Torreya Eye
A product legend connected with the Xi Shi legend, explaining the features of the Chinese torreya fruit.
The Three Rivers Mouth Water Lantern
A custom legend at Zhuji connected with the Xi Shi legend.
Xi Shi Washing Silk
A core figure legend on the theme of Xi Shi washing silk.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Its area of transmission is wide, current not only throughout Zhuji but radiating through Jiangsu and Zhejiang and even the whole country, and spreading as far as Korea, Japan, Singapore and other South-East Asian countries and regions and Chinese communities throughout the world.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
The Xi Shi legend is rich in content, touching figures, place-names, products and customs and covering almost every field of folk literature; besides oral folk literature the legend is also transmitted and spread through such forms as narrative-singing and drama. As one of China's rich and varied figure legends, the Xi Shi legend has, besides the disciplinary significance of folk literature itself, other important values: (1) literary value—as popular literary reading the legend circulates extremely widely, suiting old and young alike, and has always been a source of creation for every kind of literary form, with works on the Xi Shi theme of many kinds; at the same time transmission through literary forms has enlarged the legend's influence and enriched its content, and studying this mutually reinforcing relation is of great significance for the flourishing of literature and art. (2) aesthetic value—as an aesthetic symbol Xi Shi occupies a unique place in the aesthetic history of the Chinese nation and deserves deep study from the aesthetic angle. (3) cognitive and historiographical value—arising in dependence on the Wu-Yue wars, the legend is a popular interpretation of the history and culture of ancient Wu and Yue and has important reference value for the study of Spring and Autumn history. (4) humanistic value—the legend praises the true, the good and the beautiful and upholds heroism and the spirit of sacrifice, with positive significance for promoting an excellent humanistic spirit.
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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