Culture Arena
China · Literature · Hard
Which collection of ancient poetry, the 'Chu Ci', features the shamanistic 'Li Sao' (Encountering Sorrow), a long lament by the exiled minister Qu Yuan that is celebrated each year during the Dragon Boat Festival?
Answer: Songs of Chu — The Chu Ci represents the southern tradition of early Chinese poetry, distinct from the northern Shijing (Book of Songs), with its lush imagery of shamans and spirit journeys, and lines of irregular length before the standardisation of later verse.
- A Songs of Chu ✓
- B Book of Songs
- C Nineteen Old Poems
- D New Songs from the Jade Terrace
The Chu Ci represents the southern tradition of early Chinese poetry, distinct from the northern Shijing (Book of Songs), with its lush imagery of shamans and spirit journeys, and lines of irregular length before the standardisation of later verse.