Geographic Distribution and Change in Tang Poetry: Data Analysis from the “Chronological Map of Tang-Song Literature”

Abstract

This article uses data to analyze the geographic distribution and transformation of the poetic world in the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE). There are two ways we can examine spatial distribution and movement in Tang poetry. The first is a static examination of poets' hometowns (jiguan 籍貫). This method looks at the distribution of poets during a specific period to understand where greater or lesser numbers of poets were born, which places could be considered the center of Tang poetry, and what kinds of geographical changes occurred over time in the Tang literary world. The second is a dynamic examination of poets' activities. When we compare various Tang poets, what differences and changes can we find in the places they lived and traveled? Are the poets' spatial distribution patterns even, or do they favor certain regions? Where were the centers of poetic activity in this period? Were they the same as the political center (the two capitals), or were they located farther out in the provinces? Were they in culturally or politically developed areas or in more remote, less developed ones? In which areas was poetic activity most frequent and intense? This article attempts to answer these questions with data.

Multidimensional Domain Knowledge Framework for Poet Profiling

“…Therefore, when describing the characteristic information of poets' names, in addition to their names, style names, and pseudonyms, they should also include aliases that often appear in their poems. When describing the characteristics of gender, birth, and regional attributes, it is necessary to not only describe the birthplace of the poet but also describe the space-time track of the poets according to the chronological map of Tang and Song literature constructed by Wang Zhaopeng [29]. In addition, according to the development stage of Tang poetry, we should supplement the ages attribute.…”

“…As shown in Figure 7, poets who have a citation relationship with Li Bai (李白) include Du Fu (杜甫), Gao Shi (高适), and He Zhizhang (贺知章). Via the chronological map of Tang and Song literature constructed by Wang Zhaopeng [29], it can be observed that although Li Bai was born thousands of miles away, most areas dominated by the Tang Dynasty were covered with his footprints.…”