Shen Congwen (沈从文, December 28, 1902 – May 10, 1988), formerly romanized as Shen Ts'ung-wen, was one of the greatest modern Chinese writers, on par with Lu Xun. Regional culture and identity plays a much bigger role in his writing than that of other major early modern Chinese writers. He was known for combining the vernacular style with classical Chinese writing techniques. Shen is the most important of the "native soil" writers in modern Chinese literature...
I came to love Shen Congwen through his novel Border Town, which I adored.
This part-autobiography, part-travelogue is a collection of recollections in which Shen Congwen shares some of his childhood experiences and later travels along the Yuan River. He describes life on the river—the stilt houses, the nocturnal scenes, the boatmen, and the prostitutes along the riverbanks. He also writes about towns in western Hunan, such as Changde, Yuanling, Chenxi, and Fenghuang, bringing to life their landscapes, trades, customs, and people.
He recounts some of the stories told to him by local people, too: the beheading of an unfaithful young wife; the drowning of a young widow who had taken a lover; and a violent confrontation between the local government and bandits, among others.
What I love most is the way Shen Congwen observes this world with such tenderness and sensitivity. There is beauty in his descriptions, but also violence, cruelty, poverty, and sorrow. Somehow, he manages to hold all of these things together without judging or romanticising them.
I find that writers often write the best travelogues—perhaps because of their sensitive and tender souls?
I've been reading a lot of Chinese history and literature lately. One, I've always been interested in other countries and cultures. Secondly, my son is currently living in Beijing and so I feel an extra connection, even though I've not visited China yet. I hope one day I'll be able to.
Congwen was a distinguished scholar of modern Chinese thought and literature from the first half of the 20th century. He was largely self-taught and Recollections of West Hunan is his autobiography.
From the book we learn that Congwen was not interested in formal academic training and preferred to learn from the world around him. This autobiography provides a colorful and rich account of life in China in Tujia, a remote minority region in the middle of China in a time gone by.
I enjoyed Congwen's descriptions and eye for detail from the nature to boy's play to family life and the kinds of education expected for a boy from a certain family. Recollections of West Hunan provided a window into another world and time.
Shen Congwen recounts his observations and experiences with religious practices and superstitions of the people in West Hunan province. He revealed how household worship, superstitions, wizards, jinxes, gu women, witches, cave spirits, ancestor worship, et cetera.