Expert Interview from the Tang Xianzu Academic Symposium (IV) | Xu Guohua: Continuing the Linchuan Cultural Heritage and Enhancing Our Cultural Brand

On November 11, the 2022 China (Fuzhou) Tang Xianzu Academic Symposium was held in Fuzhou. Following the conference, Xu Guohua, deputy director of the Fuzhou Tang Xianzu International Research Center and dean of the School of Literature and Law at East China University of Technology, granted an interview to reporters.

As a leading local scholar of Tang Xianzu, Xu Guohua stated that East China University of Technology, as an undergraduate institution in Tang Xianzu’s hometown, has long leveraged the strengths of two major humanities and social sciences platforms—the Jiangxi Research Center for Dramatic Arts and the Lincuan Cultural Institute—to systematically organize and study Lincuan cultural resources. With several distinctive cultural strands—such as Wang Anshi and Song‑dynasty culture, Tang Xianzu and Ming‑Qing chuanqi opera, tea‑picking opera and folk theatrical forms, and Soviet‑area opera and red culture—as its research focal points, the university has integrated multidisciplinary academic resources spanning literature, art, and history, thereby uncovering both the historical depth and contemporary relevance of Lincuan culture. In doing so, it has provided the Fuzhou Municipal Government with sound theoretical foundations and practical, feasible plans for cultural preservation and development, continuously advancing the construction and growth of Fuzhou’s local culture. To date, the university has published more than ten scholarly monographs, secured over ten grants from the National Social Science Fund, and received two first‑class, three second‑class, and five third‑class awards for outstanding achievements in the social sciences at the provincial level.

“Culture is the hallmark and calling card of a city, and even more so, its very essence and soul. As descendants of Tang Xianzu’s hometown, we must establish a dedicated research team to carry forward his cultural legacy, tell the story of Fuzhou well, and bring Tang Xianzu’s culture to the world.” Xu Guohua also suggested continuing to promote and celebrate Tang Xianzu’s culture through comprehensive, multi‑faceted efforts, employing approaches that are both engaging and accessible to the public, thereby advancing the widespread dissemination of his cultural heritage.

(Text by reporter Hu Mengjie, photos by reporter Li Jiang)