YUAN Mei’s Interpretation of Kuaizhu Culture via Culinary Utensils, Literary Imagery and Concepts

Kuaizhu (a literary word for chopsticks) culture, with its long history and profound significance, constitutes a vital component of traditional Chinese culture. Beyond their practical utility, they embody rich literary imagery and philosophical insights reflective of intellectual Chinese traditions. YUAN Mei, a figure renowned as a gourmet, writer, and poet, articulates the culture through three dimensions. Firstly, as culinary utensils, chopsticks are used for picking, acting as a liquid barrier, stirring, and food preparation. Secondly as literary images, they enable expressions of aspiration through objects, remembrance of others, emotional longing, and the infusion of sentiment into scenery. Thirdly, as a literary concept, it embodies distinct principles. Specifically, it advocates against unnecessary specialized or archaic characters, acknowledges the greater difficulty of revision compared to composition, and values sublime clarity.