Constructing a Chinese Discourse for the New Mass Literature and Art

At present, the landscape of Chinese literature and art is undergoing a transformation that is both quietly profound and intensely dramatic. With the extensive integration of cutting-edge technologies such as 5G, big data, and artificial intelligence into creation and dissemination, the new mass literature and art—represented by online literature, online films and dramas, short videos, digital interactive art (including games), and immersive cultural tourism—has broken through the boundaries of traditional popular literature and art, growing into the most dynamic, most broadly influential, and most innovative component of contemporary Chinese cultural development. According to statistics, as of December 2024, the number of online audiovisual users in China had reached 1.091 billion, and the number of online literature users exceeded 500 million. Behind these figures lies a structural transformation in the spiritual lifestyles of hundreds of millions of people. At the same time, a key challenge is becoming increasingly prominent: current literary and artistic practice is at the forefront, while the corresponding theoretical discourse remains lagging. Against this backdrop, constructing a localized discourse system for the new mass literature and art that is grounded in China’s reality, possesses explanatory power, and provides guidance is not only an inherent need for the development of literary and artistic theory but also a strategic task for building a socialist cultural power and consolidating national cultural security.

当前，中国文艺的版图正在经历一场静水深流而又深刻剧烈的变革。随着5G、大数据、人工智能等前沿技术广泛融入创作与传播，以网络文学、网络剧片、短视频、数字交互艺术（含游戏）及沉浸式文旅为代表的新大众文艺，已突破传统通俗文艺的边界，成长为当代中国文化发展中最具活力、辐射力最广、创新度最高的组成部分。据统计，截至2024年12月，我国网络视听用户规模已达10.91亿人，网络文学用户规模超5亿，这些数据背后，是亿万人民精神生活方式的结构性变迁。与此同时，一个关键挑战日益凸显：当前文艺实践走在前沿，而相应理论话语却仍显滞后。在此背景下，建构立足中国现实、具有解释力与引导力的本土化新大众文艺话语体系，不仅是文艺理论发展的内在需求，更是建设社会主义文化强国、巩固国家文化安全的战略任务。

Consolidate the people-centered foundation of literature and art. Constructing a Chinese discourse must first answer a fundamental question: whose literature and art is the new mass literature and art? In Western theory, “mass culture” often implies a binary opposition between elites and the masses, viewing the “masses” as atomized, passive, and easily manipulated groups; correspondingly, the Western “culture industry” critical paradigm regards mass culture as standardized commodities produced on an industrial assembly line, denouncing it as a homogenized, fragmented “spiritual anesthetic” under the logic of capital. In the Chinese context, however, the logical starting point of the “new mass literature and art” is the people. As General Secretary Xi Jinping has emphasized: “Socialist literature and art are, in essence, the literature and art of the people.” [n1] In practice, the most notable feature of the new mass literature and art is that it completely breaks down the barrier between creators and recipients. From the interactive “chapter comments” of online literature to the “universal meme-mixing” on short-video platforms, the people are no longer passive recipients of culture but “prosumers” constantly present in the cultural scene. Digital technology has significantly lowered the threshold for expression, allowing ordinary workers—such as delivery drivers, factory women, and elderly farmers in the fields—to record their lives with cameras and text. This grassroots, collective literary and artistic creation constitutes the most vibrant literary and artistic landscape of the present day. Therefore, constructing a Chinese discourse for the new mass literature and art must break free from the stereotypical presuppositions of homogenization and mediocrity regarding the “masses” found in Western theory, and firmly grasp the core category of “people-centeredness.” It should fully recognize that the new mass literature and art is an important arena for the people of the New Era, especially youth groups, to engage in emotional expression, social interaction, and meaning construction with the aid of digital technology, bearing a vibrant spiritual pursuit and cultural creativity. It inherits the tradition of literature and art taking root at the grassroots level since the Yan’an Forum on Literature and Art [n2] and has grown a “co-creative aesthetics” in the digital soil. This means that the new mass literature and art we seek to interpret is not a standardized product of the culture industry, but a vivid expansion and flourishing manifestation of people’s literature and art in the information age.

夯实文艺的人民性根基。建构中国话语必须首先回答一个根本问题：新大众文艺究竟是谁的文艺？西方理论中的“大众文化”常隐含着精英与大众的二元对立，将“大众”视为原子化的、被动的、易受操纵的群体；与此相应的西方“文化工业”批判范式，将大众文化视为工业流水线上生产出来的标准化商品，斥为资本逻辑下同质化、碎片化的“精神麻醉剂”。而中国语境下的“新大众文艺”，其逻辑起点是人民。正如习近平总书记所强调的：“社会主义文艺，从本质上讲，就是人民的文艺。”在实践中，新大众文艺最显著的特征，就是彻底打破了创作者与接受者的壁垒。从网络文学的“本章说”互动，到短视频平台的“全民融梗”，人民群众不再是文化的被动接受者，而是时刻处于文化现场的“产消者”。数字技术大幅降低了表达门槛，让快递小哥、工厂女工、田间老农等普通劳动者都能以镜头和文字记录生活。这种来自基层的、集体性的文艺创作，构成了当下最具生命力的文艺景观。因此，建构新大众文艺的中国话语，必须跳出西方理论中关于“大众”的同质化、平庸化的刻板预设，紧扣“人民性”这一核心范畴。应充分认识到，新大众文艺是新时代人民群众特别是青年群体，借助数字技术进行情感表达、社会交往与意义构建的重要场域，承载着鲜活的精神追求与文化创造力。它承接延安文艺座谈会以来文艺向下扎根的传统，并在数字化土壤中生长出一种“共创美学”。这意味着，我们所要阐释的新大众文艺，并非文化工业的标准化产物，而是人民文艺在信息时代的生动拓展与繁荣彰显。

Construct an evaluation yardstick that “unifies social and economic benefits.” Driven by digital-intelligent technology, the new mass literature and art is reshaping the contemporary cultural ecology while also challenging traditional evaluation systems. It must be clearly recognized that relying solely on traffic and algorithms may erode the spiritual core and aesthetic quality of literature and art. Therefore, constructing a Chinese discourse for the new mass literature and art urgently requires establishing, at the level of axiology, a scientific evaluation system that both adheres to mainstream value orientation and respects market laws, consistently prioritizing social benefits while unifying social and economic benefits. Specifically, efforts should focus on two aspects: First, inject value orientation into technology. Excellent works of new mass literature and art should not only attract people in form but also possess rich cultural connotations and ideological depth. The literary and art theory community should promote the establishment of an “algorithm ethics” adapted to these new forms and new requirements. When evaluating works such as micro-dramas and online variety shows, one should not solely follow click-through rates and completion rates, but should comprehensively consider their spiritual guiding power, degree of cultural inheritance, and aesthetic value. Second, integrate educational functions into entertainment. In recent years, a batch of short videos promoting patriotism and inheriting fine traditional Chinese culture have been widely popular, proving that lightweight expression can fully carry weighty themes. Our literary and art theory should deeply interpret the contemporary integration of the traditional Chinese literary concepts of “literature as a vehicle for the Way” (文以载道) and “teaching through pleasure” (寓教于乐), providing theoretical support for the creative model of “lightweight dissemination, heavyweight value.”

构建“双效统一”的评价标尺。在数智技术驱动下，新大众文艺正重塑着当代文化生态，也挑战着传统评价体系。必须清醒认识到，单纯依赖流量与算法可能侵蚀文艺的精神内核与审美品格。因此，建构新大众文艺的中国话语，亟须在价值论层面确立一套既坚守主流价值导向，又尊重市场规律的科学评价体系，始终坚持把社会效益放在首位、社会效益与经济效益相统一。具体而言，应在两个方面着力：一是在技术中注入价值导向。优秀的新大众文艺作品，不仅要在形式上吸引人，更要具备丰富的文化内涵与思想深度。文艺理论界应推动建立适应这种新形态新要求的“算法伦理学”，在评价微短剧、网络综艺等作品时，不能唯点击率、完播率是从，而应综合考量其精神引领力、文化传承度与审美价值。二是在娱乐中融入教育功能。近年来，一批弘扬爱国主义、传承中华优秀传统文化的短视频广受欢迎，这证明轻量态的表达完全可以承载厚重感的主题。我们的文艺理论应深入阐释中国传统文论中“文以载道”与“寓教于乐”的当代融合，为“轻量化传播、重量级价值”的创作模式提供学理支撑。

Refine the “Chinese-style aesthetics” paradigm of the digital age. The construction of a Chinese discourse for the new mass literature and art cannot be separated from the support of an aesthetic methodology with local characteristics. In recent years, “guochao” (national trend) has evolved from a consumer symbol into an aesthetic paradigm: from the digital reproduction of Chinese-style ancient architecture and mythological universes in the domestic game *Black Myth: Wukong* to the innovative interpretation of traditional arts such as opera and intangible cultural heritage by virtual digital humans, we see the creative translation of the spirit of Chinese aesthetics in digital media. On this basis, literary and art theorists should actively refine iconic concepts with theoretical and explanatory power. For example, the category of “digital xieyi” (digital freehand brushwork), [n3] which differs from the Western digital art’s extreme pursuit of “physical reality,” focuses more on creating “psychological reality” and “artistic conception space.” By employing traditional aesthetic techniques such as leaving blank space, the interplay of the virtual and the real, and vivid rhythm and vitality, it conveys Eastern poetics in the virtual world. This is not only a technical path but also a manifestation of cultural confidence in the aesthetic dimension. Another example is the concept of “popular epic,” which can be used to interpret common narratives in online literature such as xuanhuan (mysterious fantasy) and xianxia (immortal heroes). Although these works use fantasy as their outer shell, their spiritual core often carries traditional Chinese values such as “unceasing self-improvement” and “family and country under heaven.” They are, in fact, “new myths” written by contemporary Chinese people. They respond to the collective emotions and existential inquiries of the changing times through popular narratives. Through the construction of this concept, we can transcend the theoretical framework of Western “fantasy literature” and establish China’s own typology and aesthetic standards.

提炼数字时代的“中式美学”范式。新大众文艺中国话语的建构，离不开具有本土特色的审美方法论支撑。近年来，“国潮”已从一种消费符号升级演变为一种审美范式：从国产游戏《黑神话：悟空》对中式古建筑与神话宇宙的数字化再现，到虚拟数字人对戏曲、非遗等传统艺术的创新演绎，我们看到了中华美学精神正在数字媒介中实现创造性转译。在此基础上，文艺理论工作者应主动提炼出具有学理性与解释力的标识性概念。例如，“数字写意”这一范畴，区别于西方数字艺术对“物理真实”的极致追求，更注重营造“心理真实”与“意境空间”，借助留白、虚实相生、气韵生动等传统美学手法，在虚拟世界中传递东方诗性。这不仅是一种技术路径，更是文化自信在审美维度的体现。再如“通俗史诗”概念，可用于阐释网络文学中常见的玄幻、仙侠等叙事。这些作品虽以幻想为外壳，其精神内核却往往承载着“自强不息”“家国天下”等中华传统价值理念，实则为当代中国人书写的“新神话”。它们以通俗叙事回应时代变迁中的集体情感与生命追问，而通过这一概念的建构，我们得以超越西方“奇幻文学”的理论框架，确立中国自身的类型学与美学标准。

Forge a Chinese narrative based on the common values of all humanity. The new mass literature and art naturally possesses the advantage of cross-border dissemination and is an important vehicle for telling China’s story well. The reason why Chinese online literature, short videos, micro-dramas, and the like can be widely disseminated in Global South countries and even European and American markets lies not in exoticism, but in their touching upon emotions and values common to all humanity, such as the longing for family reunion, the pursuit of fairness and justice, and empathy for growth and struggle. These elements transcend cultural differences and reach directly into people’s hearts. Constructing a Chinese discourse for the new mass literature and art should systematically study the internal mechanisms of the formation and dissemination of its emotional community, explore how to respond to the common spiritual dilemmas of humanity through literary and artistic practice, and provide narrative solutions with Chinese cultural heritage. At the same time, on issues such as algorithmic governance, copyright protection, and deepfake prevention, the Chinese theoretical community should also actively speak out and contribute wisdom, enabling China’s new mass literature and art theory to integrate into and lead global digital cultural governance. It must be made clear that constructing a Chinese discourse for the new mass literature and art is by no means a turn toward talking to oneself, but rather, amid the global surge of digital culture, to base oneself on Chinese practice, interpret Chinese experience, and establish Chinese standards. Literary and art theorists should maintain a keen sense of reality and firm cultural resolve, delve into “digital fields” such as livestreaming rooms, gaming communities, and online literature forums, and refine theoretical results that are fresh and vibrant from living practice. Only in this way can we firmly grasp the power to interpret the new mass literature and art in our own hands, truly making it a literary and artistic calling card that transmits the Chinese spirit, manifests Chinese values, and demonstrates Chinese strength, thereby opening up a unique aesthetic territory for creating a new form of human civilization.

打造基于全人类共同价值的中国叙事。新大众文艺天然具有跨越国界的传播优势，是讲好中国故事的重要载体。中国网络文学、短视频、微短剧等之所以能在全球南方国家乃至欧美市场广泛传播，其根本原因不在于异域风情，而在于它们触及了人类共通的情感与价值，如对家庭团圆的向往、对公平正义的追求、对成长奋斗的共情，这些元素跨越文化差异，直抵人心。建构新大众文艺的中国话语，应系统研究其情感共同体形成与传播的内在机制，探索如何通过文艺实践回应人类共同的精神困局，提供具有中国文化底蕴的叙事方案。同时，在算法治理、版权保护、深度伪造防范等议题上，中国理论界也应积极发声，贡献智慧，使中国的新大众文艺理论融入并引领全球数字文化治理。需要明确的是，建构新大众文艺的中国话语绝非走向自说自话，而是要在全球数字文化激荡中立足中国实践、阐释中国经验、确立中国标准。文艺理论工作者应保持敏锐的现实触角与坚定的文化定力，深入直播间、游戏社区、网文论坛等“数字田野”中，从鲜活实践中提炼出带露珠、冒热气的理论成果。唯有如此，才能把新大众文艺的解释权牢牢掌握在自己手中，让新大众文艺真正成为传递中国精神、彰显中国价值、展现中国力量的文艺名片，为创造人类文明新形态开拓独特的美学疆域。

(Author: Chen Xia, Professor and Dean of the School of Art, Beijing Language and Culture University)

（作者：陈霞，系北京语言大学艺术学院院长、教授）