On Professor Jao’s
literary writing
Professor Jao Tsung-I is one of the best-known contemporary Chinese writers in classical Chinese poetry. He is a master of various poetic genres, including shi poems, ci lyrics, fu rhapsodies, etc. The poems composed by Professor Jao during the Japanese occupation of China have long been complimented as outstanding works of that era. His literary compositions can truly represent the essence of traditional Chinese culture. Professor Jao has compositions in vernacular Chinese as well, such as his essay collection Journey of Culture, which exhibits the prose of a modern virtuoso. All in all, master Jao is unparalleled among contemporary Chinese writers. A substantial part of Jao studies is devoted to investigating the emotions, ideas, artistic elements and achievement of his creative writing.
Professor Ji Xianlin
“Master Xuantang reads widely and travels widely. He had been on almost every continent and visited nearly every place in the whole of China. Master Xuantang is rich in emotions. He can transform his feelings into all the forms of classical poetry. He has made perfect use of the exquisitely classical forms to express his feelings. Master Xuantang has said that he aimed to open up new realms of expression to poets, to refresh our perceptions of the world. He is incomparable in our age.” – Professor Ji Xianlin in his preface to Qinghui ji, 17 September 1998
Dr Cheng Wai Ming
“Professor Jao’s is a supreme master of both literary scholarship and literary creation. He is an eminent scholar as well as a versatile artist, a polymath unique in our time. It is no exaggeration to say he is one of the great men of letters in contemporary China.” – Dr Cheng Wai Ming in Literary Achievements of Professor Jao Tsung-I