Dr LAM Chuen-pan, Chinese Language Centre

Refine Newtheme: Literary Strategies in Tobacco-themed Ci-Poetry of the Qianjia Zhexi Ci-School. International Young Scholars Symposium on Art and Humanities in East Asia from the 16th to 19th Century. Jointly organized by Zhejiang Sci-Tech University and Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China, 19 April 2025.

Abstract
Tobacco was introduced to China in the late Ming dynasty and quickly gained popularity, though it remained largely absent from literary discourse until the mid-Qing period. During the Yongzheng and Qianlong reigns, poet Li E lamented this neglect and composed a Tianxiang tune praising tobacco, sparking a literary response that elevated it into a major theme in Qing Ci-poetry. These works reveal mid-Qing Zhexi poets’ pursuit of innovation and their engagement with the Le Fu Bu Ti tradition. Unlike earlier Qing poets who emphasized the exoticism of foreign goods, Li E and his peers approached tobacco with restraint, highlighting craftsmanship and minimizing sensuality to raise its cultural status. Structurally and stylistically, their lyrics drew heavily from classical models, reflecting both homage and artistic ambition. The resulting tobacco-themed poetry exemplifies the Zhexi poets’ ideals and their efforts to refine a new subject into one of elegance, tradition, and literary significance.