Leaves gleaned from the ten-thousand-dimensional web in Heaven: Chinese on-line publications in Canada

Abstract

As with popular culture generally, Chinese popular fiction borrows from elite and folk traditions in the creation of popular texts. Historically, Chinese audiences developed a variety of innovative ways to accomplish the transmission and distribution of texts and, just as importantly, to provide opportunities for communal participation and commentary. In this article, three Chinese electronic magazines at Canadian sites are examined in light of the wider traditions they share with earlier forms of Chinese popular culture. A sample of volumes from each publication formed a comparative analysis focusing on history and duration of publication, format, content, and some important common themes found in contributors’ poetry and prose. Methodological challenges associated with this type of research are considered, including the issue of authorship.