Expert Interview from the Tang Xianzu Academic Symposium (No. 11) | Luo Jialu: Fully Unleashing the Cultural Development Potential of Tang Xianzu

“We should take Tang Xianzu’s cultural legacy as the driving force, deepen our research with a long-term vision, and thereby boost the development of Fuzhou’s entire cultural industry,” said Luo Jialu, a researcher at the Municipal Federation of Social Sciences, in an exclusive interview with reporters on November 11, following the conclusion of the 2022 China (Fuzhou) Tang Xianzu Academic Symposium.

When asked what sparked his interest in the culture of Tang Xianzu, Luo Jialu explained that he had originally focused on another historical figure, Luo Rufang. As Tang Xianzu was Luo Rufang’s disciple, he first encountered Tang Xianzu’s thought and subsequently became deeply fascinated by it. “Tang Xianzu was not only a dramatist but also a literary scholar and a thinker. He was both teacher and friend to Luo Rufang, whose ideas were themselves shaped by the philosophy of Wang Yangming.” With a smile, Luo Jialu quipped that perhaps Tang Xianzu should even regard Wang Yangming as his “grand master.”

Luo Jialu argues that it was precisely Luo Rufang’s ideas—such as compassion for all living beings and a pure, childlike heart—that Tang Xianzu internalized as guiding principles for his conduct. As a result, during his official career Tang Xianzu was able to implement benevolent governance and a more humane political administration, winning the people’s affection. Guided by these same ideas, he also broke with earlier modes of thought, boldly portraying human emotion and producing dramatic masterpieces epitomized by The Peony Pavilion.

Luo Jialu argues that studying the culture of Tang Xianzu should not be confined to his dramatic works alone, but rather integrated with his philosophical and intellectual doctrines. This symposium should seize this opportunity to tap into the developmental potential of Tang Xianzu’s cultural legacy, thereby achieving more substantial results.

(Trainee Reporter Liu Yixin)