Traditional Chinese Jestbooks and Ming Revival
abstract
The traditional Chinese literary view bestowed value mainly on those texts that pursued a didactic and moral purpose; however, several scholars in Chinese history composed works, recording and gathering anecdotes, to be enjoyed in leisure time. The jestbooks (Wenyan xiaohua ji), which had appeared in the literary landscape during the later Han/early Wei period (late 3rd century CE), became extremely popular during the Ming (1368-1644). This article provides a brief presentation of several collections through the ages, and then focuses on how they flourished during the Ming dynasty period.
Keywords: Jestbook • Humorous anecdotes • Jests
permalink: http://doi.org/10.14277/6969-095-2/SV-3-5