In the period of Qing Dynasty, Fengshan County was the region with the most diverse ethnic cultures and various literatures regarding to cultures in southern Taiwan. Understanding the development of literature of Fengshang County and the artistic expression is to uncover the mystic veil of literatures in southern Taiwan in Qing Dynasty. This study aims to view the research on literature of Fengshang County from the perspective of literary geography and spatial analysis, hoping to widen a new perspective for further research of regional literature.
This study is divided into seven chapters as below.
Chapter 1 introduces the research motivation, research purpose, literature review, the research scope, interpretation of important concepts, research approach as well as arrangement of chapters. Besides, the overview and relationship between localogy and development of regional literature are also exemplified.
In Chapter 2, this study explores the social development in Fengshang County from migration society to civilized society, and to analyze the close relationships among literary progress and factors such as local politics, society, economy, ethnic groups, education in order to present the process of evolution of literary development and actual situation.
Chapter 3 conducts an analysis on oral literature in Fengshang County in the time of Qing Dynasty. The topics include the tales, legends and folk stories of the Han people and the indigenous people. Through oral literature, we understand more about the historical changes, diverse literary approaches and the thoughts of all ethnic groups living here.
Chapter 4 explores the process of poetry spreaded along the way from China to Taiwan then rooted in Fengshang County. Furthermore, this chapter analyzes the types of poetry of literati trip as well as its influence on local writers; analyzes the social background and characteristics connected to related poetry of local literary families. Meanwhile, the author discusses the Bamboo Branch Songs written by literati to describe the living situation in Fengshang County.
Chapter 5 is to analyze the proses in Fengsheng County from official document, narrative prose, lyric prose, inscription to discuss various social phenomena and thoughts of literati out of these different genres. As for the biographies, through the officially recognized literary figures or the biographies of chastity women, the author attempts to analyze their writing strategies and how they evaluated these characters.
Chapter 6 analyzes the Fu of Fengshang County. Although the genres and contents of writings by literati traveled and local literati were mostly about the scapes, the flora and plants were also the materials for literary works. By analyzing the content of the Fu, we will be able to understand the mental process when literati in Fengshang County composed their Fu to express their pursuit of spiritual worlds.
Chapter 7 is to conclude the result, value of research and future prospects.