Group Identity and Urban Writing of Chinese Intellectuals Who Studied in France:Taking Hsu Sung-Nien’s Literary Works as an Example

Representative of a new generation of Chinese intellectuals cultivated under Sino-French cultural and educational exchanges, Hsu Sung-Nien not only absorbed experience from traditional Chinese culture, but was also influenced by the spirit of the Enlightenment in French culture, shaping his unique perspectives on learning and thinking that integrate both Chinese and Western visions. He is among the first cohort of overseas students to study at the Lyon Sino-French Institute in France. While completing the construction of his intellectual identity and practicing social responsibility, he was also a prolific author of original literary works. Unlike the reformist students who participated in the work-study program, Hsu, as an intellectual of the Enlightenment, mainly produced writings that feature realism, autobiographical style and writing characteristics exclusive to the “twin cities” (i.e. Shanghai and Paris). The content of his literary work reflects his pursuit of social enlightenment and literary freedom, as well as his high sensitivity to foreign cultures, morality,literature and art, which always leads to emotional and spiritual anxiety. Hsu Sung-Nien accomplished the transformation of his intellectual identity in France, where he met emotional needs primarily through artistic creation and literary salons, and the Enlightenment values in French culture cultivated his tendency to advocate practicality. Upon his return to China, he continued to express his feelings through urban writing, fulfilling his social responsibility as an intellectual. On the one hand, he made a considerable contribution to disseminate new literatures and technologies. On the other, he also criticized the urban desolation in modern culture and disapproved of the utilitarianism in new literature and art. After the January 28th Incident, Hsu Sung-Nien participated in the mobilization of anti-Japanese resistance art through realistic literary creation, which recorded the details of urban life and culture in Shanghai, Chongqing and other places from a critical perspective. After China’s victory in the Anti-Japanese War, he devoted himself to rebuilding Shanghai's cultural circles. Hsu Sung-Nien’s urban writing demonstrates his strong identification with the modern intellectual community and his endeavor to organically combine Chinese and French cultures, serving as a typical example for observing the thoughts of young intellectuals in that era.