Remarks on Ci from the Ice-Drinking Studio

Liang QichaoBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.0

Word count: 1.4K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Written by Liang Qichao, *Yinbing Shi Ciping* is a collection of commentaries on Chinese poetry and ci of successive dynasties. It also played a positive historical role in advocating anti-imperialist patriotism and the Poetry Revolution.

Editor's review

Liang Qichao named his study "Yinbing" (Drinking Ice), and his ci criticism carries both anxiety and fervor. This collection does not dwell on elaborate annotations; instead, it judges ci works of successive eras through a critic's eye, setting ci appreciation against the aims of the Poetry Revolution: he valued genuine feeling and the spirit of the age in ci, and used his commentary to advocate anti-imperialist patriotism, giving traditional ci criticism a sharp edge in the modern context. For ordinary readers, its value lies not only in seeing how Liang reads ci but in observing how a thinker made literary criticism a way to awaken the people's spirit. Read it as a "sample of criticism" rather than a general history of ci; note his standards of praise and blame as you go, then compare them with the original ci to grasp his choices. The comments are concise and forceful, often striking home, but they also carry a pronounced period stance, and readers should keep their own judgment.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literary enthusiasts interested in modern ci criticism
Readers who want to understand Liang Qichao's literary thought
Those with some grounding in classical poetry who are willing to read commentary
Students concerned with the Poetry Revolution and modern intellectual history

Not a good fit for

Beginners needing a systematic history of ci or detailed annotations
Readers seeking light entertainment who dislike argumentative prose
Those sensitive to modern political and literary positions

Reading tips

Read the comments first, then find the original ci they discuss and compare them to grasp his standards.
Keep an anthology of ci at hand and look up unfamiliar ci poets promptly.
Excerpt comments by category of praise and blame to observe Liang's critical emphases.
After reading, write a short review responding in your own words to his Poetry Revolution ideas.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
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FAQ

Is this a complete work of ci theory?

No. It is mainly a collection of commentary on poetry and ci of successive dynasties, focused on judging specific works and stating positions rather than building a complete system of ci theory. Read it as a sample of criticism and intellectual material, not as a general history of ci.

Can I read it without a foundation in ci studies?

Yes, but you will encounter obstacles. The comments are concise and often contain period argument; if the original ci and poets are unfamiliar, understanding will suffer. It is best to acquire some basic knowledge of Tang and Song ci first, or look up the original ci as you read, then appreciate the measure of the comments.

What literary positions does the book express?

According to the sources, in his ci commentary Liang Qichao advocates anti-imperialist patriotism and the Poetry Revolution, and this played a positive historical role. As you read, note how he combines ci appreciation with concern for his times, but also be aware of the clearly marked period limitations of his stance.

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About the author

Liang Qichao Author · China · 1873–1929

Liang Qichao, courtesy name Zhuoru and pseudonym Rengong, was a native of Xinhui, Guangdong. He was a thinker, politician, historian, and man of letters of the late Qing and early Republican periods, and one of the leaders of the Hundred Days' Reform. He founded the newspapers Shiwu bao and Xinmin congbao, and advocated the "revolution in poetry" and the "revolution in fiction," exerting a profound influence on intellectual enlightenment and literary reform. In his later years he served as a tutor at the Tsinghua Institute of Chinese Studies, continuing academic research and teaching. The library holds 131 of his works, spanning categories such as examinations, comprehensive biography, classic works, historical reading, and Eastern philosophy. Representative works include A History of Chinese Scholarship in the Last Three Hundred Years, The Biography of Li Hongzhang, An Introduction to Qing Dynasty Scholarship, The New Citizen, and the supplemented collection of writings outside the Yinbingshi Collected Works. His writings cross history, philosophy, and political commentary; his prose is vigorous and fluent, his reasoning clear, and his work combines scholarly weight with strong appeal, making it important material for understanding the intellectual transformation of modern China.