Published 17-03-2026
Keywords
- Classical poetry and rhymed prose,
- Classical mythology,
- Imagery,
- Transmitted texts,
- Fieldwork
Copyright (c) 2026 Cambridge Arts and Humanities Research
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Abstract
Gao Lifen's early research primarily focused on Chinese classical poetry and ancient rhymed prose. Subsequently, her research shifted towards examining the relationship between mythological legends, folk culture, and classical literary creation during the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties periods, exploring literary archetypes and symbolism. In recent years, the study of the Queen Mother of the West myth has become the central focus of her research. Benefiting from her background and methodological training in classical Chinese poetry and prose, Gao Lifen's approach to mythological research is grounded in the meticulous organization and close reading of transmitted texts, focusing on the examination of imagery and symbolism, as well as a comprehensive and holistic reflection on mythological thinking. Drawing from both the foundations of traditional classical poetics and insights from literary theories and methodologies in mythology and literary anthropology, her work demonstrates robust scholarly rigor, innovative energy, and prolific research output.
References
- Gao Lifen. Poetry as an Expression of Grievance: A Study of Han and Wei Dynasty Lament Poetry [M]. Taipei: Magnolia Culture Press, 2009.
- Gao Lifen. A Study of Allusion Usage in Yuanjia Poets [M]. Taipei: Magnolia Culture Press, 2007.
- Gao Lifen. Entering the Spring Mulberry Grove: Ritual and Space in Song Yu's "Dengtuzi Hao Se Fu" and the Encounter with the Mulberry-Picking Girl [A]. Collected Essays on the Study of Ci and Fu [C]. Beijing: China Literature and History Press, 2003.
- Gao Lifen. The Perspective of Seasonal Phenology and Temporal Thinking in Medieval Literature [A]. Collected Essays on Festival Culture [C]. Taipei: Academia Press, 2006.
- Gao Lifen. The Sacred Realm of Water: Archetype and Symbol in Jin Dynasty River and Sea Fu [A]. Collected Essays on the Fifth Conference on Han Dynasty Literature and Thought [C]. Taipei: Xinwenfeng Publishing House, 2005.
- Gao Lifen. Space and Symbol: A Study of Penglai Mythology and Its Cultural Significance [A]. Collected Essays on the Fifth Conference on Han Dynasty Literature and Thought [C]. Taipei: Xinwenfeng Publishing House, 2005.
- Gao Lifen. The Maritime Thinking and Cosmology of Penglai Mythology [J]. Journal of Chinese Literature, National Chengchi University, 2006(6).
- Gao Lifen. Depicting the Sacred: Wang Yanshou’s "Rhymed Prose on the Lingguang Palace of Lu" and the Transformation of Palace Descriptions in Fu [J]. Journal of Nanjing University (Philosophy, Humanities, and Social Sciences), 2012(5).
- Gao Lifen. Vertical and Horizontal: The Imagery of Sacred Mountains in Han Dynasty Stone Reliefs [J]. Journal of Chinese Literature, National Chung Hsing University, 2008(23).
- Gao Lifen. Meeting the Queen Mother of the West: The Queen Mother of the West and the Banquet at the Jade Pool in "The Biography of King Mu" [J]. Annual Journal of Folk Literature, 2009(2).
- Gao Lifen. The Goddess and the Divine Physician: An Examination of the Queen Mother of the West and Her Bird-Shaped Bian Que Imagery in Han Dynasty Stone Reliefs [J]. Donghua Chinese Studies, 2011(12).
- Gao Lifen. The Nine-Tailed Fox: An Examination of the Queen Mother of the West’s Attendant Animal Imagery and Symbolism in Han Dynasty Art [J]. Journal of Chinese Literature, National Chengchi University, 2011(15).
- Gao Lifen. The Goddess on the Tomb Door: A Study of the Queen Mother of the West Imagery and Symbolism in Northern Shaanxi Han Dynasty Stone Reliefs [J]. Thinking, 2013(6).