New poetry collection is an ode to a river and history

On Saturday, Ballad of the Dulong River and Bronze Cowrie Containers, a new poetry collection, was launched during a Beijing seminar organized by Poetry Periodical, Yunnan Education Publishing House, and Yunnan Writers' Association.

The collection has two parts. In the "ballad of the Dulong River" part, author Duan Aisong uses short verses to depict his impression of the river in Yunnan province, while the bronze cowrie container is an artifact archaeologists discovered from sites of the ancient Dian kingdom, which existed from the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to the Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220) in Yunnan. The latter part named after it shows the writer's imagination related to the kingdom.

The attending experts say this book has distinct regional characteristics. It portrays the insignificance of humanity in the face of the vast nature, while also highlighting history, materiality, and divinity.

The simplicity and grandeur of the "ballad of the Dulong River" complement each other, highlighting nature's magnificence with minimalist strokes. The "bronze cowrie containers" part serves as an epic that combines anthropology and archaeology, infused with a sense of modernity, depicting a vibrant folk panorama in the modern days, they say.

According to Li Shaojun, editor-in-chief of Poetry Periodical, the collection melds words, history, familial memories, myths, and local archaeological materials into one cohesive whole.

"The value of this work lies not only in its poetic representation of ancient Dian civilization but also in providing an inspiring example of how contemporary poetry can creatively transform traditional cultural resources," writes Qiu Huadong, vice-president of China Writers Association in a congratulatory letter to the launch of the book.