bianwen
Bianwen:
Translated by Victor Mair as “transformation text,” Bianwen represents a prosimetric form of storytelling popular from the 8th to the 10th centuries, thus is regarded as the earliest extended vernacular and fictional narrative in Chinese. While most of the Bianwen texts are clearly fictional, many are believed to have been written to create some sort of “imaginative reality.” Among some famous Bianwen texts, the Mulian jiumu bianwen ( Mu-lien chiu-mu pien-wen), or Transformation Text on Mahamaudgalyana Rescuing His Mother from the Underworld, which is based on Budhist scriptures, represents religious legend and is entirely fictional. The Xiaozi Shun bianwen (Hsiao-tzu Shun pien-wen), or Transformation Text on the Boy Shun’s Extreme Filial Piety, is based on Shima Qian’s historical account.Pinghua:
Literarally “plain tale,” is usually translated as “expository tale.” Based on a relatively longer form of storytelling popular in the Southern Song and Yuan, it can be seen as “novelettes.” The pinghua texts are considered early attempts at composing full-scale novels. Of a score of pinghua texts produced in the Yuan dynasty, only six of them are still extant. Incidentally, all of these six texts are based on historical accounts. The Wuwang fazhou pinghua (Wu-wang fa-chow p’ing-hua), or Expository Tale on King Wu’s Expedition Against Zhou (Chow) is among these six extant texts. The Sanguozhi pinghua, another extant text, is believed to have anticipated the emergence of the Sanguo yanyi (San-kuo yen-i), or Romance of the Three Kingdoms.