Hot Spots Observation•An Analysis of the Multiple-Facet Aspects of Traffic (‌Ⅱ)

■ A Multi-Dimensional Analysis of Traffic Logic in the Digital Cultural Ecosystem （PP. 4–20）Hu Yong

Abstract: In contemporary society, where digitization and platformization have penetrated every aspect of life, quantitative metrics such as traffic, viewership ratings, box office, circulation, and rankings have become deeply embedded in the creation, dissemination, and evaluation of artistic works, serving as key indicators of influence. This article analyzes representative cases from television dramas, online literature, and short videos to explore the manifestation and multifaceted impacts of the traffic-driven logic in the cultural ecosystem. The study finds that traffic metrics can enhance work dissemination, stimulate creative activity, and optimize market operations, yet they may also constrain creative space, weaken artistic depth, and foster a "traffic-only" mentality, resulting in a loss of public value. Theoretically, this article attempts to integrate attention economy, postmodern cultural logic, and artistic evaluation systems, proposing a "dual-metric, multidimensional evaluation" approach to balance quantitative data with artistic value. Practically, the study offers strategies for optimizing creators' approaches, improving platform recommendation mechanisms, and strengthening the independence of critical discourse, thereby safeguarding diversity and the healthy development of artistic creation. The findings suggest that a scientific understanding and rational management of traffic logic can contribute to the sustainable development of artistic creation in the digital era.

Keywords: traffic, digital cultural ecosystem, dual-metric, multidimensional evaluation

■ The Predicament and Breakthrough of "Data-Supremacy" in Online Literature （PP. 21–32）Zhou Zhixiong

Abstract: Chinese online literature directly links market data with authors' income by using quantitative data such as VIP subscriptions and ranking traffic, forming an evaluation index centered on commercial value, which in turn has promoted the prosperity of online literature. Its inherent logic is an extension and technological upgrade of the payment system since the modern times, possessing its own rationality and historical inevitability. However, an excessive pursuit of commercial benefits can lead to a "fast-food" style of creation, with problems such as padded content and formulaic repetition becoming increasingly prominent. Meanwhile, three forces within the online literature ecosystem counteract the "data-supremacy" creation: first, the self-consciousness of accomplished writers, who proactively "slow down, reduce quantity, and improve quality," returning to their original creative intentions and pursuing high-quality works; second, a readership with discerning taste, who promotes the dissemination of high-quality works through comments; and third, national-level supervision and guidance, which establishes correct creative orientation through relevant policies, writer training, award selection, and other measures, promotes the construction of an evaluation system that unifies social and economic benefits, and guides Chinese online literature towards high-quality development.

Keywords: online literature, quantitative indicators, business mechanisms, evaluation system

■ The Evolution of the Connotations of Traffic and Its Social Governance （PP. 33–41）Sun Jiashan

Abstract: Since 2010, the term "traffic" has increasingly become a high-frequency word with the attributes of public discourses for the whole society. However, its semantic connotations have undergone several stages of different evolutionary, including the emergence of the so-called "fan-circle culture" within contemporary celebrity culture, the celebrity system, the rise of online literary and artistic phenomena such as short-video and livestreaming content, and the widespread application of artificial-intelligence algorithms. In particular, the misconceptions surrounding the "information cocoons" profoundly reflect the complexity of the experience of contemporary China and its related social governance challenges. In response, via effective field research and scientific commentary mechanisms, we should directly address the differences arising from the in-depth application of artificial intelligence algorithms on different platforms in different forms, and comprehensively analyze various social issues related to traffic from the perspective of China's overall social development.

Keywords: traffic, information cocoons, artificial intelligence, algorithm governance, commentary on literary and artistic phenomena

■ Penetrating the Myth of Traffic: Re-establishing the Standards and Constructing an Evaluation System for Literature and Art in the New Era（PP. 42–49）Liu Shuang

Abstract: In the context of platform society, traffic has become an important measure of social value, profoundly influencing and reconfiguring the criteria of evaluation for literature and art. Grounded in the historical background of profound media transformation and the rise of new popular literature and art, this article reveals and analyzes the essential attributes of traffic, the generation logic of traffic indicators, and the functional processes through which they reconfigure the evaluation standards of literature and art. It critically examines the alienation of literature and art evaluation caused by the "traffic-supremacy" mentality, as well as the deep-seated problems and potential risks it causes throughout the entire chain of literary and art production, dissemination, and consumption. On this basis, this article proposes to break through the myth of traffic and construct a comprehensive evaluation framework that is compatible with and conducive to the literary and artistic ecosystem, thereby providing constructive practical solutions for the high-quality development of China's literary and artistic undertakings.

Keywords: literature and art evaluation, traffic, traffic indicators, system construction

■ On the Cross-Media Production and Dissemination of Online Literature and Micro-Drama under the Power of Algorithms: A Case Study of the IP Adaptation Chain from Tomato Novels to Hongguo Short Drama （PP. 50–59）Zhao Yupei

Abstract: At present, micro-dramas have rapidly developed into a mature content form that meets the emerging cultural demands of the general public. By modeling users' behavior, algorithms directly regulate the degree of content exposure at key entry points and have become the central rule on governing the allocation of traffic and competition among contents. Based on semi-structured interviews with twenty-five online writers and micro-drama screenwriters, and supplemented by the textual materials from platform announcements and creator communities, this study takes the IP adaptation chain from "Tomato Novels" to "Hongguo Short Drama" as an example to reveal how the competition for traffic becomes institutionalized from the upstream stage of creation. Using Mid-summer's Vendala and Go Queen Go as comparative cases, the study explains the dual effect of algorithms in amplifying the reputation of high-quality works while promoting controversial and speculative content. On this basis, the article proposes a governance ecology driven internally by platform brand building, supported by public services compensating for market failure, and guaranteed rigidly by government regulation and diversified supervision. At the same time, it emphasizes strengthening the positive guidance of emotional value, promoting the micro-drama ecosystem to shift from traffic-driven growth toward sustainable development that balances quality and value.

Keywords: micro-drama, online literature, IP adaptation, cross-media, traffic, data governance, emotional infrastructure

■ How Should Online Literary Criticism Respond to Traffic? （PP. 60–69）Xiao Xiang

Abstract: Online literary criticism can address traffic from both internal and external perspectives. First, by treating algorithms as a methodological tool, it can move beyond the traditional paradigm centered on "close reading" and decode the "traffic logic" through "distant reading", in order to explore the deeper meanings of online literature. Second, by taking algorithms as its object of analysis, it can transcend the works-centered theoretical paradigm, examine the institutional structures of online literature, analyze platform algorithmic rules, and guide "algorithms towards good." On the basis of these two aspects, online literary criticism will transcend disciplinary boundaries and enter the interdisciplinary research paradigm of digital humanities. Only by directly engaging with the realities of literature and art can a critical theory and discursive system for literature and art be constructed that is adapted to the present era and possesses Chinese characteristics.

Keywords: traffic, online literary criticism, algorithm, digital humanities

Theoretical Explorations

■ The Chinese School of Spoken-Drama Production: Explorations and Contributions from Jiao Juyin to Lin Zhaohua （PP. 70–82）Zou Yuanjiang

Abstract: The "Chinese school of spoken-drama production" refers to a distinctly Chinese approach to spoken drama, one that differs from models largely transplanted from the West. Jiao Juyin was among the earliest directors to recognize the need to establish a Chinese school of spoken-drama directing. Lin Zhaohua "grasped the true essence of Mr. Jiao" and went on to develop it further — both in spoken-drama production, where he expanded its expressive possibilities by incorporating techniques from (Chinese opera) and traditional narrative and ballad arts, and in xiqu production, where he drew systematically on resources internal to the xiqu tradition. The cluster of concepts he proposed—centered on narrative-inflected acting—constitutes a distinctive contribution to the formation of a Chinese school of spoken-drama production.

Keywords: Jiao Juyin, Lin Zhaohua, narrative-inflected acting, Chinese school of spoken-drama production, autonomous knowledge system building

■ On the Centennial Transformation and Developmental Trajectory of Shanghai Dance's "Haipai" Tradition（PP. 83–96）Zhang Yuling

Abstract: The magnificent century-long history of Shanghai dance serves as a microcosm of modern and contemporary Chinese dance. The emergence, transformation, and development of its "Haipai" tradition, often setting trends ahead of others, are pivotal to the overall reconstruction of China's dance culture. In the first half of the 20th century, Shanghai dance established its "Haipai" tradition characterized by commercialism as its core feature. And in the latter half of the 20th century, within the context of "New-Haipai", Shanghai dance exhibited distinct modernist characteristics. Entering the 21st century, Shanghai dance is progressing towards the "Post-Haipai" from a globalized perspective. The "Post-Haipai" developmental direction proposed in this paper is not intended merely to affix a new label to Shanghai dance. Rather, it aims to break free from the constraints of existing labels, restoring its inherent freedom to achieve a more distinct "presence". It will transcend the conventional sense of dance genres and regional styles, and is more of a trend, a concept, and a method. And it will focus on topics such as "our contemporaneity", "current coexistence", and "existence of life", promoting the contemporary development of its "Haipai" tradition with an open and forward-looking creative concept.

Keywords: Shanghai dance, Haipai, Post-Haipai, Dance History, Modern Dance, Contemporary Dance

Diverse and Extensive Art Phenomena

■ International Experience Reference and Innovative Development Reflection of Museum Art Licensing in China（PP. 97–110）He Hongfei

Abstract: Museum art licensing is an important way to promote the activation and inheritance of cultural and museum resources. Foreign museums have accumulated a wealth of experience in art licensing, including establishing the complete licensing organizational structure and exploring innovative licensing models in the external licensing process, building the collaborative mechanism and matrix product structure in the design and production process, and integrating the sales channels of licensed products and product promotion tools in the circulation and marketing process. The development of museum art licensing in China is confronted with predicaments such as incomplete institutional guarantee system, weak construction of licensing subjects, insufficient collaboration in product research and development, and poor dissemination of cultural narratives. It is urgent to learn from and analyze foreign experience and construct innovative paths in four dimensions. The first is to perfect the institutional guarantee system of museum art licensing. The second is to strengthen the construction of museum art licensing subjects. The third is to promote collaborative and innovative cooperation in museum art licensing. And the fourth is to improve the cultural narrative dissemination mechanism for museum art licensing.

Keywords: museum, art licensing, the activation of cultural and museum resources, cultural industry, foreign experience

Interview with Renowned Experts

■ Embracing Diversity to Create a Magnificent Chapter, and Mutual Exchanging and Learning to Forge a New Path: An Interview with the Scholar of Foreign Literary Theory Liu Yiqing （PP. 111–123）Interviewed by Zou Zan

Inside Front Cover

Chinese Literary and Art Critics: Li Xingwen

Inside Back Cover

Recommendation of Literary and Art Critics Associations in Sub-Provincial Cities:Wuhan Literary and Art Critics Association

Back Cover 

"Bringing Forth Spring": New Year's Greeting Poster from China Association of Literature and Art Critics