Biji is a distinctive literary genre in classical Chinese literature whose name literally means notebook or written notes. It has no strict form, being based mainly on recording personal insights, experiences, miscellaneous sensations and trifles, and is known for its scattered, notebook-like character. A single work of biji can contain stories, anecdotes, quotations, random musings, philological speculation and literary criticism, essentially anything its author judged worth recording.
Facts
Place of Origin Notable ExampleDream Pool Essays by Shen Kuo 2 Defining TraitLiterary form based mainly on recording personal insights, experiences, miscellaneous sensations and trifles 2 FAQs
When did biji develop into a distinct genre of Chinese writing?
It emerged as an independent genre in the Southern Dynasties and was refined under the Tang.
Biji emerged as an independent literary genre during the Southern Dynasties, from 420 to 589, and underwent further refinement during the Tang dynasty, from 618 to 907.
In the Other Atlases
Originated In
Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject originated.
Sources
1. Biji (disambiguation) - Wikipedia
List entry 3, Biji (Chinese literature)Quote, List entry 3, Biji (Chinese literature)
Biji (Chinese literature)
2. Biji (Chinese literature) - Wikipedia
Notable works
Dream Pool Essays (夢溪筆談 Mèngxī Bǐtán) by Shen Kuo, Song dynasty
Lead
it is a literary form mainly based on recording personal insights, experiences, miscellaneous sensations, and trifles
View the SourceReader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.