(Xinhua)
Updated: 2007-11-26 15:56

BEIJING -- Opening one of his four new Chinese literature textbooks, Gao Tian, 15, is feeling underwhelmed.

The Grade One student from Beijing 156 Middle School is focused on his College Entrance Examination (CEE), and he quickly skims through it.

The first text is a prose piece in memory of an old friend by Lu Xun, arguably the most famous writer in modern Chinese literature."It seems a little different from my older cousin's book," Tian said and put the books aside.

He is blissfully unaware, however, that the "little" difference he has noticed has triggered heated debate in mainland media.

Critics were quick to fire off letters to the editor and post comments on the internet when changes in seven-year-old Chinese textbooks for Beijing Grade One senior middle schoolchildren were first reported.

Published by People's Education Press, the new versions reportedly included an extract from popular kung fu novel The Fox Volant of the Snowy Mountain, by Louis Cha, replacing Lu Xun's classic novelette The True Story of Ah Q.

Lu's tale rails against early 20th century Chinese for their toadying pursuit of self-interest and embodies a dark view of the Chinese psyche in the self-serving protagonist Ah Q.

This change was criticised for "replacing classics with superficial fast-food stories".

"Education will become an entertainment," a commentator said in a forum on the official Xinhuanet.com website.

Many internet users feared the "incorrect guidance" in the new textbooks would lead students to lose their interest in traditional literature and culture.

"It's disastrous to delete the traditional texts. They are as relevant as ever after being read by so many students for such a long time," said Shandong teacher Li Xianzi.

Nevertheless, the publishers have studiously tried to correct what they saw as "media misrepresentation" of the new textbooks. Gu Dexi, one of the editors and a teacher at Beijing No4 Middle School, said Cha's story was included only in the teachers' reference book and was not in the student textbook.

It could help to explain, if necessary, the concept of Xia, a chivalrous person adept at martial arts, introduced in the ancient biography written by historian Sima Qian, Mr Gu said.

Some of Lu's works have been replaced by other pieces of his. Kong Qingdong, from the Chinese language and literature department of Peking University, also an editor of the new textbooks, said the dropped texts, such as The True Story of Ah Q, depict an era when warlords and revolutionary fervour had the country gripped in chaos, which was difficult for teenagers to understand.

In contrast, Lu's other stories, such as the tribute to an old friend and the tale of an unfortunate widow, could still move and resonate with modern readers, Professor Kong said.

The new textbooks also contain more works by contemporary Chinese authors and foreign writers. About 10 ancient prose texts were replaced by shorter extracts. An essay on new language use in the hi-tech age, discussing symbols used in messaging services such as smileys, is also included.

The format has changed too with the ancient prose no longer grouped together in the same chapters. "The texts should keep pace with the times," Professor Kong said.

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