Recently, “the International Seminar on Literary Geography and the 5th Annual Conference of China Literary Geography Society” was held in Fukuoka, Japan, hosted by China Literary Geography Society, Fukuoka International University, Guangzhou University and Jiangxi Academy of Social Sciences, with 40 specialists and scholars from institutions of higher learning as well as humanities and social science research institutions in China and Japan attended the conference. Professor Ji Dejun, director of Cantonese Culture Research Center of GZU and Professor Zeng Daxing, President of China Literary and Geographical society and the Executive Deputy Director of Cantonese Cultural Research Center delivered the keynote speech at the meeting.
It is known that literary geography has enjoyed a long history as a research method. As a discipline, however, it came into being in China only in recent years. Different from numerous disciplines in literary field introduced from abroad in the twentieth century, literary geography is completely “made in China” with its basic theory, basic concept and discourse system carrying disctinct Chinese style. It is necessary for the scholars of literary geography to enhance communication and dialogues with the International academic community so the discipline will gradually receive international recognition. This meeting is regarded as an effort for the internalization of literary geography.
During the meeting, the participants held a heated discussion on issues such as the basic theory, basic concept, discourse system, discipline construction and the discipline’s path of internationalization. They put forward the “three-step” concept for the literary geography to go global. Professor Zhou Shangyi from Beijing Normal University, member of the International Geographical Union Literary Geography Specialized Committee, also attended and addressed the meeting. He spoke highly of the effort of the researchers in pushing academic research and discipline construction forward in recent years, considering it as a highlight in geographical research.
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