Special Topics • The Rise and Prospect of New Forms of Literature and Art for the General Public ( I )

■ On the New Forms of Literature and Art for the General Public from the View of the People's Needs （PP. 4–16）Tan Haozhe

Abstract: The needs of the people are the humanistic foundation for the value judgment and research of all literary and artistic activities, and also the theoretical research perspective that new forms of literature and art for the general public should have. In appearance, the new forms of literature and art for the general public presents changes in the pattern of literary and artistic production and consumption, as well as changes in the technology and subjects of literary and artistic production. However, on a deeper level, it actually implies the enormous changes in the aesthetic and cultural needs of the masses in the course of historical transformation. Therefore, we should examine the question of what makes new forms of literature and art for the general public "new" from the perspective of historical changes in the aesthetic and cultural needs of the masses, revealing the driving force behind its emergence and development, and analyzing the relationship between popularization and improvement in its future development. Furthermore, we should also give a reasonable positioning and theoretical judgment on its position in the overall landscape of literature and art in the new era of China from the perspective of meeting the diverse aesthetic and cultural needs of the masses, clarifying and properly handling the relationship between new forms of literature and art for the general public and people's literature and art, the relationship with old-style popular literature and art, and the relationship with institutionalized professional literary and artistic creation.

Keywords: new forms of literature and art for the general public, needs of the people, driving force for its emergence and development, relationship between popularization and improvement, overall landscape of literature and art in the new era

■ Rights, Dividends, and the Development of New Forms of Literature and Art for the General Public （PP. 17–23）Jiang Shuzhuo

Abstract: The emergence of new forms of literature and art for the general public not only signifies a redistribution of cultural rights but also a sharing of cultural rights. The public can enjoy their personal rights to creation, dissemination, and feedback through participation on technological platforms. Interpreting the emergence of new forms of literature and art for the general public from the perspective of cultural rights will better reflect the freedom and protection that the socialist system provides for individuals or groups to participate in, create, enjoy, and develop culture, and better reflect the protection of socialist human rights and the construction of socialist core values. The emergence and development of new forms of literature and art for the general public are related to at least three kinds of "dividends" provided by society: educational dividends, institutional dividends brought about by the reform and opening up practice, and technological flow dividends. The combined effect of these three dividends has enhanced the subjectivity of the entire population in cultural participation, forming a new cultural ecosystem where "everyone can create" and the sharing of cultural rights has reshaped the "people-centered" nature of literature and art. The lowering of the threshold for new forms of literature and art for the general public and writing will not affect the implementation of the strategy for high-quality literary and artistic works. Public participation and professional improvement, as well as popularization and enhancement, can be achieved in a "two-way approach". The simultaneous development of new forms of literature and art for the general public and the strategy for producing high-quality works represents the direction of modern civilization development in the process of the Chinese-style modernization.

Keywords: new forms of literature and art for the general public, cultural power, cultural rights, dividends, popularization and improvement

■ Media Philosophy, Historical and Cultural Logic of New Forms of Literature and Art for the General Public（PP. 24–39）Li Zhen

Abstract: The new forms of literature and art for the general public is primarily manifested in many forms, such as online literature, web dramas, microfilms, XR films, animated movies, short videos, online micro-dramas, electronic games, as well as the practices of new offline literary and artistic groups, new folk art and amateur writing, which represents a nationwide cultural wave that has surged with the growing intelligence of digital media. It is the convergence of new mass population, new literature and art, and new media in the new era. The new popular literature and art is thus characterized by cultural attributes such as integration, interactivity, and the harmonious blend of highbrow and lowbrow tastes. The rise of it is deeply rooted in the media ontology, the mediatization of human beings, and the humanization of media, as well as an inevitable historical and cultural logic shaped by the people-oriented guide, the strengthening of national power, and the rejuvenation of the nation, along with the evolving connotations of "the masses". The new forms of literature and art for the general public presents a new aesthetic paradigm based on "carnival aesthetics" and the pleasure principle epitomized by the pursuit of "exhilaration"(爽 in Chinese), therefore it calls for the development of a new cross-boundary critical paradigm and discourses. It is a dialectical unity that adheres to the "constants" of artistic essence while embracing the "variables" of the era, and it will exert a profound influence on the development of literature and art through its multifaceted contributions.

Keywords: new forms of literature and art for the general public, media ontology, people-oriented literary and artistic perspective, carnival aesthetics, cross-boundary criticism

■ On the New Forms of Literature and Art for the General Public and the Reconstruction of Ethics in Literary and Art Criticism（PP. 40–56）Hu Yifeng

Abstract: The rise of the new forms of literature and art for the general public has profoundly changed the contemporary landscape of Chinese literature and art, and has also raised the contemporary issue of ethical reconstruction for literary and art criticism. From the four dimensional perspectives of media, identity, aesthetics, and value, the new forms of literature and art for the general public is a process and achievement of self-renewal in literature and art in the new era conditions and new media technologies. As a new face of the popularization of literature and art in the new era, the new forms of literature and art for the general public demonstrates the return of socialist literature and art to its original aspiration and essence, and embodies the self-redemption of aesthetic and social functions in literature and art. It has enlightening significance for exploring and solving problems such as the loss of subjectivity, the loss of focus on objects, and the disorder of standards that are of general concern to the current literary and art critical circles. Literature and art criticism should follow the contemporary logic manifested by the new forms of literature and art for the general public to broaden its social functions, closely adhere to the technical connotations of the new forms of literature and art for the general public to improve the subject's literacy, focus on the changes in the form of new forms of literature and art for the general public to innovate the discursive paradigm, and adapt to the innovation of the discursive style of the new forms of literature and art for the general public to shape the contemporary literary style.

Keywords: new forms of literature and art for the general public, critical ethics, literature and art criticism

Criticism and Contention

■ The Problem of Homogenization in Traditional Chinese Opera Creation and the Way Out （PP. 57–62）Yan Quanyi

Abstract: Behind the current prosperity of traditional Chinese opera creation lies the problem of homogenization, primarily manifested in a singular narrative mode and flattened character portrayals. This phenomenon stems from factors such as a focus on policy and awards in creative orientation, market risk aversion, a shortage of playwright talents, a weakening of genre awareness, and a lack of critical commentary. To break through this predicament, creators should start from the following aspects: First, strengthening the "problem awareness", exploring the depth and uniqueness of the subject matter, and emphasizing character development and conflict design; second, returning to "genre awareness", leveraging the aesthetic characteristics of different genres to achieve diversity in form; and third, injecting the "modern consciousness", ensuring that the text and the stage design should align with contemporary aesthetics and values.

Keywords: traditional Chinese opera creation, modern Chinese traditional opera, poverty alleviation opera, heroic themes, innovative approaches

Diverse and Extensive Art Phenomena

■ Traditional Culture, Healing Power and Youth Reception: The Network Communication of Wang Zengqi's Works and Its Enlightenment （PP. 63–76）Gui Lin

Abstract: This article takes the network communication of Wang Zengqi's works as a case study, introduces BERTopic and SnowNLP technologies, and uses empirical research to restore the network communicating status of Wang's works. Empirical data shows that Wang's works have a good communication effect among young online readers. Further analysis reveals that the network communication effect of Wang's works is directly related to the traditional cultural elements in it. The network communication effect of Wang's works indicates that, compared with the "sense of excitement" provided by network literature, classical literature that carries traditional cultural elements can focus on providing a kind of "healing power". Thus, the classical literature that has undergone the "Wang Zengqi-style" transformation is not only likely to continue to shine in the current internet era, but what is more valuable is to become an effective literary intermediary for traditional culture to reach contemporary youth.

Keywords: Wang Zengqi's works, network communication, traditional culture, classical literature, healing power

■ The Value Generation of AI Literature and Art: Collaborative Construction of AI, Artists and Audiences （PP. 77–88）Sun Qing

Abstract: The value generation of AI literature and art benefits from the collaborative construction of AI, artists and audiences. Generative AI, grounded in deep learning technology, has subverted the traditional encoding methods of earlier artificial intelligence, evolving from an instrumental background into an active force in value construction, thereby reshaping the paradigm of contemporary artistic value formation. In the process of human-computer interaction, artists, as the creative driver of the artistic value of artificial intelligence, realize their creative intentions through technical intervention at the front end of creation, logical guidance in the interaction process, and exploration of the boundaries of AI technology, so that the core of the artistic value of artificial intelligence is anchored in the process rather than the result. In the dynamic meaning network of human-computer interaction, the audience's reading, watching and listening have replaced creation. Against the backdrop of technological adaptation and media spectacle narrative, it has shifted from passive reception to active production, achieving the realization of the artistic value of artificial intelligence.

Keywords: generative AI, AI literature and art, artistic values, collaborative construction

■ Media Turn and Perceptual Rebirth: How Smartphone Photography is Reshaping Contemporary Visual Experience （PP. 89–99）Song Ruoxuan

Abstract: The smartphone has fully integrated photography into daily life, giving rise to a new visual culture and paradigm of experience. From a historical perspective on media evolution, this article explores how smartphones have democratized image production, enabled instantaneous dissemination, and normalized aesthetic expression, thereby merging deeply with human perception and becoming an essential component of contemporary existence. At the same time, the proliferation of images has led to the gradual blurring of real experience by visual representations, while subjective experience undergoes profound mutation within the flood of imagery. The article also attempts to introduce the concepts of algorithmic aesthetics and paniconic regime to further elucidate the reconstruction of human perceptual structures and existential experiences in the era of smartphone photography. Through this analysis, it aims to alert us to the continuous need for reflecting on the socio-cultural impact of imaging technologies amid technological progress.

Keywords: smartphone photography, media turn, mutation of experience, algorithmic aesthetics, paniconic regime

Art Beyond China

■ Constructing Chinese Art Historiography by "Drawing on Other Cultures": A Case Study of Three Single-Volume General Histories of Chinese Art from the English-Speaking World in the Late 20th Century （PP. 100–111）Wang Zhenzhen

Abstract: Michael Sullivan's The Arts of China, James Cahill's Chinese Painting, and Craig Clunas's Art in China are three single-volume general histories of Chinese art produced in the English-speaking world in the late 20th century. All three works offer comprehensive definitions, broad impressions, and value judgments on the achievements of Chinese visual arts. They are scholarly accessible books which aim at general Western readers. Although these three sinologists each have their own academic approaches, they generally compile their general histories of Chinese art within the framework of Western art historiography. Their works represent a continuation and expansion of the tradition of art historiography since Winckelmann, particularly Wölfflin's tradition of stylistic art history, applied to the field of Chinese art history. While these general histories are inevitably constrained by the limitations of Western perspectives on the general history and often overlook traditional Chinese approaches to comprehensive historical writing—leading to certain misinterpretations and omissions—they also yield interesting cross-cultural comparative insights after substituting Western perspectives for Chinese ones. These insights highlight the position and characteristics of Chinese art within global art history. Today, it is essential to focus on "drawing on other cultures" in the dialogue and integration between the ancient and the modern, and between China and the West, so as to explore the construction of an autonomous knowledge system for Chinese art historiography.

Keywords: autonomous knowledge system of Chinese art historiography, artistic Sinology, general history of Chinese art, the other

Interview with Renowned Experts

■ The Guardian of Art on the Black Soil: An Interview with Errenzhuan Performing Artist Ma Li （PP. 112–123）Interviewed by Wang Qiao

Inside Front Cover 

Message from Comrade Zhang Zheng, Secretary of the Party Leadership Group, Vice Chairman of the China Federation of Literary and Art Circles, on the 10th Anniversary of the Founding of China Literature and Art Criticism

Front color pages 

Messages from Distinguished Figures on the 10th Anniversary of the Founding of China Literature and Art Criticism

Inside Back Cover 

Call for Subscription of China Literature and Art Criticism in 2026

Back Cover

Poster for the Symposium on the 10th Anniversary of the Founding of China Literature and Art Criticism and the Seminar on the High-Quality Development of Literature and Art Periodicals