Project Exhibition: CHIN 465 Story Ji, Yijia Ji

When I am reading Chinese fantasy literature, I construct images in my head and build a huge fantasy world. These multimedia tools are creative vessels for my imagination, allowing me to show others what is my own understanding. It is interesting and this gives a sense of achievement in the process of conceiving and realizing the project. I think it enhanced my understanding of literature works. During working on the project, I need to reread the works a lot of times to find the new perspective to create the project. And I indeed found new points and idea through each reading. Also, the project brings a lot of fun in learning Chinese literature. I am glad to see the traditional literature represented in a new carrier through our efforts.

I think the most important thing is to emphasize the attracting parts of the fantasy literature without changing the core concept. When I am creating the project, the target group is primary and secondary school students. So I need to think in a different angle to know how to help them to perceive the whole story. Also, I think [Chinese] literature should keep the reflective part for audiences to think. In the process of changing the view, it gave me the opportunity to look at different characters' perspectives objectively, and explore the deeper meaning of fantasy literature.

I think the class is really creative and interesting . Professor Xin is very communicatve with students, and we all give responses positively. The idea that I want to use an interactive game to show the work was inspired by one of my classmates. After class, we were talking about a character in a game and I suddenly realized that it would be interesting to present the works in a form like that.

Before taking this course, I was very interested in Chinese fantasy literature. I have read a lot of stories from “Classic of Mountains and Rivers” and was obsessed with the creatures it presented. It not only describes wonderful stories but also contains philosophical implications. In the different periods that I read these works, they would give me new points to think about. The imagination is not limited by times and spaces, the stories still so charming after thousands of years. Through reading the fantasy literature and creating the project, I think the fantasy literature makes other Chinese literature and culture more vivid in present life.

Before taking this course, I was very interested in Chinese fantasy literature. I like how literary imaginations are not limited by time nor space, that after thousands of years, these stories are still so charming and impactful to the readers today. After taking this course, I learned how to take agency and construct a fantasy world that I built from my mind.

This class definitely encouraged me to read traditional Chinese literature with a reflective and inquisitive mind. Professor Xin is very encouraging, and he challenges us to analyze the story and its characters with nuanced yet objective perspectives.

We often have classroom discussions where students will engage in creative dialogues that help us build on each others’ understanding. It is definitely very rewarding to have such a supportive and encouraging classroom environment.

While working on the project, I was challenged to analyze stories in different perspectives so I could present my own multimedia project in a way that was refreshing, original, and true to my imagination. I found that by learning how to use multimedia tools, I was also able to understand its significance in revitalizing traditional literature; now we’re able to understand these old stories in a context which makes it fascinating and relatable in the modern age.