Think Tank

Behind the high bonus couplets, there is a closer connection between traditional culture and young people

2025-10-24   

Recently, a cultural news has attracted attention: Huizhou, Guangdong Province is soliciting the second couplet of a pair of couplets titled "From Nanyang to Nanyang, Deep Roots and lush Leaves". After more than four months of solicitation, a 21-year-old "post-2000s" youth won the first prize with "Rising Stars from the Well Wall and Well Bi Corner" and won a prize of 100000 yuan. Poet Ouyang Jianghe praised this couplet as' an absolute that has been difficult to encounter for many years'. The term 'wellbore' is not a specific term for a well. In Hakka walled houses, "well" is an essential architectural element, and the shape of the walled house is also similar to a "well". Being inside it gives a feeling of sitting in a well and observing the sky. However, the cleverness of this couplet lies in its depiction of Hakka people sitting in a well, yet their perspective is not narrow at all. Looking up at the starry sky from the well wall, one can see twenty-eight constellations including Jingsu, Bisu, Jiaosu, and Kangsu. The author even coined the term "Xingzhang", which reminds people of the phrase "Kanglong has regrets, and Feilong is in the sky" in the Book of Changes, metaphorically referring to China soaring like a dragon. The upper couplet "from Nanyang to Nanyang" is an extension of geographical space, while the lower couplet "from the well wall and the end of the well" to "Jiaokang Xingzhang" is a survey of the universe's starry sky. The lower couplet not only echoes the prosperous image of the "deep roots and lush leaves" in the upper couplet, but also elevates the pattern from a profound humanistic history to a philosophical realm of "unity of heaven and man". Even though some people questioned the neatness of the tone and word matching in the couplet, it still won the recognition of the judges and the public. Chinese couplets, a unique art that gradually evolved from the use of peach symbols to ward off evil and pray for blessings, have been refined by the Song and Ming dynasties and flourished during the Qing dynasty, deeply embedded in the cultural fabric of China. Creating infinite meaning in a limited textual space, couplets were once an elegant game for literati to sing and respond, as well as an ordinary scenery for ordinary citizens to decorate their doorframes. The pair of "Tai Xu Huan Jing Lian" in "Dream of the Red Chamber" - when it is fake, it is also fake; The concept of 'wuwei' has long been familiar to people, while the Donglin Academy couplet features the sound of wind, rain, and reading, all echoing in the ears; Family affairs, national affairs, and world affairs, caring about everything - have inspired many intellectuals to have a global perspective for hundreds of years. But with the tremendous changes in social structure and the evolution of lifestyles and aesthetic tastes, the once common aesthetic of life, couplets, has become less active and influential in public cultural spaces. The story of the post-2000 generation winning high prizes through couplets not only brings couplet culture back to people's, especially young people's, vision, but also prompts us to consider whether there needs to be some new changes in the inheritance of traditional culture? In the past, when it came to inheritance, it was believed that young people should memorize more rules and master more allusions, striving for "authentic flavor". This is certainly the foundation, but if we stop here, it is easy to turn living cultural practices into a rigorous "fill in the blank", which makes people stay away from it. The success of this post-00s generation lies precisely in their ability to break free from this framework. He may not have mastered more obscure allusions than his predecessors, but he uses astronomical knowledge to activate and apply the ancient creative rules of couplets. He respected the "laws" of couplets and also contributed his insights more brilliantly. This is not a simple imitation of surface forms, but rather stands out through the integration of thinking patterns and the updating of knowledge structures. Only when more young people discover that their innovations can be seen, respected, and rewarded, and that they can gain recognition and create value in ancient poetry, couplets, and even all cultural heritage fields through their love for modern disciplines such as astronomy and physics, can there be a closer connection between tradition and young people. (New Society)

Edit:Luoyu Responsible editor:Zhoushu

Source:GMW.cn

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