To better promote Chinese literary and artistic classics internationally and deepen exchanges between Chinese and Western traditions, the International Academic Symposium on “The Formation of Classical Literary and Artistic Works in Chinese and Western Civilizations” was held in Athens, Greece, on Dec. 4. The event was co-hosted by the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and the Chinese School of Classical Studies at Athens (CSCSA), also under CASS. More than 60 Chinese and international scholars engaged in in-depth discussions on the formation mechanisms and literary traditions of classical works with enduring influence in both Chinese and Western civilizations.

Deeper exchanges expected

At the opening ceremony, Ding Guoqi, director general of the Institute of Literature at CASS, emphasized that the formation of Chinese and Western literary classics is not only a result of historical accumulation but also an outcome of cross-civilizational dialogue and mutual learning. Greek tragedies, he noted, explore human subjectivity through the tension between individuals and fate, while classical Chinese poetry reflects social reality and historical experience through spiritual expressions of literati. Both traditions offer profound reflections on human nature, destiny, and society.

Classics, Ding continued, embody not only aesthetic value but also enduring spiritual and social significance. Through their persistent pursuit of “truth,” such works continue to resonate across time and space. In the course of cross-cultural exchange, Greek literature has inspired the creation of Chinese historical dramas, while elements of Chinese thought have been incorporated into modern Greek literature, illustrating the potential for different civilizations to coexist and flourish through interaction.

Li Xinwei, director of the CSCSA, noted that the institution is expanding international horizons of classical studies by situating research on literary classics within a broader civilizational framework. This approach advances scholarship along multiple dimensions, including textual traditions, intellectual origins, and modes of aesthetic expression.

Li underscored the importance of comparative research, noting that only by examining one another from a cross-civilizational perspective can the distinctive features and deeper structures of each culture be fully understood. Civilizations have never developed in isolation, nor have genuine classics emerged in seclusion. Continuous exchange, cooperation, and dialogue are essential for Chinese and Western civilizations to grow through mutual understanding and learning.

Athanasios Cheimonas, deputy mayor of Athens and a writer, remarked that despite the great distance between them, China and Greece both possess long-standing civilizations and distinctive artistic traditions, with similar emotional expressions and cultural traits evident in everyday life.

“This event reflects the practical significance of cultural exchange. It is not a symbolic gesture, but a genuine encounter and understanding,” he stated, expressing hopes for deeper and more sustained cooperation among young people, scholars, and art professionals from both countries.

Cross-cultural literary research

Alicia Relinque Eleta, a professor at the University of Granada in Spain, has long studied similarities and differences in early literary theory between the classical traditions of China and Greece. In her view, although both civilizations developed mature literary concepts at an early stage, their developmental paths diverged significantly. The Preface to the Book of Songs by Han-Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) scholars and Aristotle’s Poetics each laid the theoretical foundation for their respective literary traditions, while Longinus’ On the Sublime and Lu Ji’s poem “Wen Fu” (“On Literature”), written during the Jin Dynasty (266–420), provided new interpretations of literary “beauty” and aesthetic experience within established frameworks.

Despite their different cultural backgrounds, Eleta elaborated, these works display striking commonalities in their concern with the nature of literature, its aesthetic qualities, and the relationship between literature and spiritual experience. Such parallels offer fresh perspectives for cross-cultural dialogue between Chinese and Western literary criticism, demonstrating that comparative research can uncover not only differences but also unexpected resonances and shared understandings.

This form of intercultural connection is evident not only in classical theoretical and philosophical texts but also in the transmission of literary narratives and folk traditions. Maria Omadeo, a professor at the University of Siena in Italy, observed that in multilingual and cross-cultural classrooms, a relationship of “mutual imagination” often emerges between teachers and students. In such settings, understanding is shaped by imagined perceptions of the other’s culture, which can nevertheless be distorted by symbolic “mirrors.”

Omadeo emphasized that when fairy tales are presented appropriately, they can transcend generations, social strata, and cultural boundaries to serve as powerful bridges. For example, Qing-Dynasty (1644–1911) writer Pu Songling and contemporary Italian author Italo Calvino both collected folk tales, refined their narratives through concise language, and provided humorous critiques of society, imbuing traditional stories with enduring vitality. The global circulation of tales such as “Cinderella” further illustrates how fairy tales take root in diverse cultural contexts, fostering shared memories and mutual understanding. Such narratives, she argued, reveal the deep structures common to world literature and offer valuable insights for cultural coexistence in today’s pluralistic societies.