Early Globalism and Chinese Literature - Elements in the Global Middle Ages - Early Globalism and Chinese Literature

Jul 31, 2026

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Exploring “early globalism and Chinese literature” through the lens of “literary diffusion,” this Element analyzes two primary forms: Buddhist literary diffusion and facilitated diffusion connected to the maritime world. The Buddhist strand highlights scriptural translation, transformation texts (bianwen), and “Journey to the West” narratives, showing how these processes reshaped Chinese language and literary culture. The maritime strand traces the spread of Cinderella stories through seafaring migration and examines the totalizing worldview in literature about Zheng He’s voyages, arguing for a lasting imprint of early global literary diffusion.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages100

Reading Time2 h 34 min

AccessFree to download

Prologue

PART I BUDDHISM AND LITERATURE

Introduction to Part I

Buddhist Translation and the Chinese Language

Bianwen (“Transformation Texts”) and Their Importance

Buddhism, the Literary World, and the “Journey to the West” Stories

PART II SEA AND STORY

Introduction to Part II

Maritime Circulation of the Cinderella Story

Voyages of Zheng He: The World in Ming Literature

Epilogue

Appendix

References

The Global Middle Ages Early Globalism and Chinese Literature Yuanfei Wang and Victor H. Mair ISSN 2632-3427 (online) 27:22, subject to IShSN2632-34g19 (print)eorms Elements in the Global Middle Ages edited by Geraldine Heng University of Texas at Austin Susan J. Noakes University of Minnesota–Twin Cities Lynn Ramey Vanderbilt University EARLY GLOBALISM AND CHINESE LITERATURE Yuanfei Wang Lingnan University Victor H. Mair University of Pennsylvania Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8EA, United Kingdom One Liberty Plaza, 20th Floor, New York, NY 10006, USA 477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia 314–321, 3rd Floor, Plot 3, Splendor Forum, Jasola District Centre, New Delhi – 110025, India Cambridge University Press is part of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a department of the University of Cambridge. We share the University’s mission to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. [www.cambridge.org](www.cambridge.org) Information on this [title: www.cambridge.org/9781009500159](title: www.cambridge.org/9781009500159)[ ](title: www.cambridge.org/9781009500159)DOI: 10. 1017/9781009272360 © Yuanfei Wang and Victor H. Mair 2026 This publication is in copyright. Subject to statutory exception and to the provisions of relevant collective licensing agreements, with the exception of the Creative Commons version the link for which is provided below, no reproduction of any part may take place without the written permission of Cambridge University Press & Assessment. An online version of this work is published at 10.1017/9781009272360 under a Creative Commons Open Access license CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 which permits re-use, distribution and reproduction in any medium for non-commercial purposes providing appropriate credit to the original work is given. You may not distribute derivative works without permission. To view a copy of this license, visit [https://creativecom](https://creativecom)[mons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0](mons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0) When citing this work, please include a reference to the DOI 10.1017/9781009272360 First published 2026 A catalogue record for this publication is available from the British Library ISBN 978-1-009-50015-9 Hardback ISBN 978-1-009-27235-3 Paperback ISSN 2632-3427 (online) ISSN 2632-3419 (print) Additional resources for this publication [at www.cambridge.org/earlyglobalism](at www.cambridge.org/earlyglobalism) Cambridge University Press & Assessment has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party internet websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. For EU product safety concerns, contact us at Calle de José Abascal, 56, 1°, 28003 Madrid, Spain, or email [eugpsr@cambridge.org](eugpsr@cambridge.org) Early Globalism and Chinese Literature Elements in the Global Middle Ages DOI: 10.1017/9781009272360 First published online: February 2026 Yuanfei Wang Lingnan University Victor H. Mair University of Pennsylvania Author for correspondence: Yuanfei Wang, [yuanfeiwang@ln.edu.hk](yuanfeiwang@ln.edu.hk) Abstract: Exploring “early globalism and Chinese literature” through the lens of “literary diﬀusion,” this Element analyzes two primary forms. The ﬁrst is Buddhist literary diﬀusion, whose revolutionary impact on Chinese language and literature is illustrated through scriptural translation, transformation texts, and “journey to the West” stories. The second, facilitated diﬀusion, engages with the maritime world, traced through the seafaring journey of Cinderella stories and the totalizing worldview in literature on Zheng He’s voyages. The authors contend that early global literary diﬀusion left a lasting imprint on Chinese language, literature, and culture. This title is

FAQs

What framework does the Element use to study early globalism and Chinese literature?

It uses “literary diffusion” to examine how literary forms and words move across cultures over long periods of time.

How does Buddhist literary diffusion influence Chinese language and literature?

Through scriptural translation and transformation texts, and by shaping narratives such as the “Journey to the West” stories and the broader literary world of Buddhism.

How are Cinderella stories and Zheng He linked to the maritime side of early global literary diffusion?

Cinderella stories are traced through seafaring migration, while literature on Zheng He’s voyages is used to explain a totalizing worldview connected with facilitated diffusion in the maritime sphere.

Jul 31, 2026

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