Mutual Absorption of Qi: Symmetries of Literature and Painting in Chinese Ancient Culture

“Qi” is considered the foundation of classical Chinese literary creations. Both Eastern and Western scholars from varied perspectives regard the “Qi Theory” as a creator-oriented theory on literary and artistic creations, in which a creator not only connects creations with creation processes but also links macrocosm with micro-inner world, thus forming a self-centred small cosmos in the intertwined time and space. This small universe is mutually absorptive. When different creators work on different literary or artistic genres, the mutual absorption of “Qi” occurs, and the outcomes will bear similar “Qi” but distinct “forms”. The creations of paintings and poetry-ci in the Five Dynasties are a quintessential “mutual absorption of Qi”, indicating that the “Qi Theory” on literary and artistic creations is a mutually absorptive “ecological whole” and provides more profound insights into theories about classical Chinese literary creations.

Keywords: Qi, Drawing, Chinese, poetry-ci, appreciation