Politics, lyricism and A City of Sadness: Towards a critique of the Chinese lyrical tradition in Taiwan

On 24 February 2023, Hou Hsiao-Hsien’s masterpiece was re-released in movie theatres across Taiwan. Like its initial release three decades prior, the film once again sparked debates regarding the entwinement of politics and aesthetics. Considering the intricate fusion of the political and the lyrical, this article examines the ideological operation of the lyrical tradition through which the state apparatus legitimized its domination in post-war Taiwan. Furthermore, this study explains the core elements of the Chinese lyrical tradition as expounded by Sinologist Shih-hsiang Chen, emphasizing its ideological mechanism of replacing the particular and the historical with the general and the universal. Applying this observation to Hou’s film A City of Sadness , this article elucidates the intricate intertwining of its long-take aesthetics and political complications. In conclusion, I propose a discerning reassessment of the legacy of the Chinese lyrical tradition, an essential endeavour required as we venture into the new millennium.