A Study On The Zheng Clan And Its Literature In The Qing Dynasty

The Zheng clan moved from Zhangpu to Wujiang(Kinmen)and then to Taiwan,taking root in the frequent migrations and becoming a prominent local family within two generations,which was closely related to the social situation in Taiwan at the time.This was closely related to the social situation in Taiwan at that time.After the reunification of Taiwan by the Qing government,it greatly contributed to the development of all aspects of Taiwanese society and attracted a large number of immigrants.The Zheng clan seized the opportunity for development,united and cooperated,engaged in commercial activities and the land reclamation.No effort was spared in training their children to follow the path of the imperial examinations,thus becoming the first generation of Taiwan’s native scholar and the gentry class.They also take an active part in local administration and public welfare activities to enhance the clan’s social influence and maintain the family’s prestige.The development of clan literature is inseparable from the edification of clan culture.The Zheng clan’s tradition of advocating literature and Confucianism as well as their emphasis on the education of the children of the clan made the Zheng clan good at poetry and literature,especially Zheng Yongxi,Zheng Yongjian and Zheng Rulan.Zheng’s clan literature was deeply influenced by the Confucianism of Song Dynasty,so the poems of the three showed the characteristics of plain and natural,good at reasoning,and simultaneously showed the strong Tao Yuanming affection.On the other hand,the differences in their personal life experiences have led to the different characteristics of the three men’s works.Although the three were all raised by traditional Confucian education,Zheng Yongxi showed the characteristics of Confucian scholar and poet more obviously because of his achievement in the imperial examination and his position as the head of his clan.He strictly adhered to the gentle and kind Confucian concept of poetry teaching and paid attention to the practical function of poetry.Both Zheng Yongjian and Zheng Rulan have no intention of pursuing official career,and abide by the life philosophy of "self-depend".Zheng Yongjian’s poems belong more to Pastoral Landscape Poetry,and mostly describes personal emotions and forget the secular state of mind,while Zheng Rulan inherits Bai Juyi’s tradition of leisurely poetry.Whether in terms of clan emotion,cultural sentiment or poetic style,the Zheng literary clan shares a strong sense of cross-strait family identity,and their literary creations are undoubtedly an important part of Chinese literature.