20th century orientalist novels and chinoiserie Bridge of Birds has been compared to the literary genre of
chinoiserie, a synonym for "orientalist" which can refer to the genre of China-based stories (and is also used describe decorative art forms). Well-known novels in the chinoiserie tradition include the
Kai Lung stories by
Ernest Bramah,
The Painted Veil by
W. Somerset Maugham,
The Good Earth by
Pearl S. Buck, and the
Chia Black Dragon trilogy by
Stephen Marley, all novels written in the twentieth century that reflect on the landscape of China and include cultural aspects. Bramah's Kai Lung stories are said to be so accurate to the actual setting and culture of China that he must have lived there at some point in his life; however, there is no evidence of that. Since chinoiserie focuses more on the artistic and beautiful side of China, Stephen Marley likes to refer to his trilogy as Chinese Gothic because its fantasy is darker than that of a book like
Bridge of Birds.
Classic Chinese novels In the
Bridge of Birds author biography
Barry Hughart mentions that the book was influenced by the fact that "vast numbers of Chinese deities had really originated as characters in novels" and
Bridge of Birds contains substantial references and allusions to the
Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese culture, especially
Dream of the Red Chamber and
Journey to the West.
Dream of the Red Chamber, written by
Cao Xueqin, is one of the
Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese culture. This novel turned
Chinese writing toward the use of personal experience and tragedy and away from a previous reliance on well-known myths and legends and stereotypical characters that had earned fiction a reputation for moral irrelevance. This novel is mentioned in
Bridge of Birds.
Journey to the West, by
Wu Cheng'en, a quest story like
Bridge of Birds, tells a tale of a long pilgrimage from China to India in search of enlightenment. Many obstacles like dragons, tigers, demons and monsters are faced along the way.
Romance of the Three Kingdoms was written by
Luo Guanzhong, and
The Water Margin is credited to
Shi Nai'an. These two novels are also part of the collection of the
Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese culture. Although these two novels are the least like
Bridge of Birds, there are still some similarities.
Chinese culture There are numerous allusions to actual Chinese cultural practices and events in
Bridge of Birds, including the following: • Bamboo Dragonfly – The traditional Chinese version of the illuminating flying toy was made of bamboo. This version contained two blades that functioned as the propeller. They were connected to a thin rod. When you would rub the rod with your palms, it would rotate and release the bamboo dragonfly. Because there is no electricity involved, the bamboo dragonfly did not fly to great heights. A helicopter-sized version features in the novel. • Chinese village life –
Bridge of Birds begins in a traditional Chinese village named Ku-fu. In Chinese culture, villages are traditionally considered the foundation of society because they contain the culture, traditions, and customs of China. •
Dragon Boat Festival – A Chinese holiday is celebrated by boat races on the fifth day of the fifth lunar moon, which is the same day the Chinese poet
Chu Yuan died in 277 B.C. On this day citizens throw bamboo leaves filled with rice into the water symbolizing the attempt to distract fish from eating his corpse. In
Bridge of Birds, a man dressed as the dead poet appears to rob the celebrants during the ceremony. •
The August Personage of Jade – A supreme Taoist deity who created the
Chinese zodiac by making the animals race across the river to see the order in which they would be on the calendar. In
Bridge of Birds, he manipulates the characters to save Jade Pearl. •
Dragon Dance – The dragon dance is an important part of traditional Chinese culture. The dragon dance expresses happiness and wishes. Usually performed by a group of people with stage props that they will use to form the head, body, and tail of a dragon. They perform the many different forms and models of the dance during celebrations. Master Li and Number Ten Ox perform this dance when they celebrate at the end of "Bridge of Birds". •
Ginseng is a major plot element in the book due to its legendary healing powers, which reflects traditional Chinese belief in ginseng, or
ren shen, as the "king of a hundred herbs" . The actual herb reportedly assists brain function, limits the adrenal stress response, has anti-neoplastic properties, is an antioxidant, and stimulates insulin release. In traditional Chinese medicine, Ginseng is considered a
"warm" food that can tonify primal
qi, nourish
yin Ginseng has been traded in China for over 3000 years, a fact reflected in the book. •
Legalism – Literally means "school of law". This philosophy had three subjects: fa, shu, and shi. Fa meant "law or principle" and the law code must be clearly written and made public. Laws should reward those who obey them and punish those who break them. Shu meant "method, tactic or art" and this meant that secrets were to be employed by the ruler so others cannot take control of the dynasty. Shi meant "legitimacy, power, or charisma" and this meant that the position of the ruler was what held power. In the novel, the Duke of Ch'in espouses this philosophy. •
Moon Festival – Also known as the Mid-Autumn Festival, the Mooncake Festival, or the Zhongqui Festival. Customs include eating
mooncakes, matchmaking, carrying lanterns, burning incense, and Fire Dragon Dances. In
Bridge of Birds, Number Ten Ox visits the city of Peking during the hectic Moon Festival. •
Sword dance – A popular dance in Chinese culture that combined the dancing of swords of all different sizes with acrobatics. Sword dancing evolved from the martial art of
wu shu and was very popular within the Chinese opera performances. • Tomb Festival – Known as Qingming Festival in China, but is also referred to as Tomb Sweeping Day because one of the major customs for this day is sweeping the tombs. This is a day spent honoring the dead. People will visit the graves of their ancestors to clean them, leave offerings of food, and honor the dead. Master Li and Number Ten Ox take the time on this day to honor their dead ancestors in "Bridge of Birds". • Yama King – Judge of the dead in Chinese folk religion. When people die he would either grant them good fortune because they led a good life, or punish them if they led a life of evil deeds and misfortune. This religious figure is alluded to in "Bridge of Birds" when characters speak about what they want to be reborn as in their next life. ==Reception==