By outdoor-nature-child.com On October 18, a seminar discussing the new novel “Deep Mountain” by the avant-garde Chinese writer and Lu Xun Literary Prize winner Lu Xin was held in Beijing. The event featured notable attendees, including Wu Yiqin, Vice President of the Chinese Writers Association, Yan Jingming, another Vice President, and Li Junhu, President of the Shanxi Writers Association. Scholars and critics such as He Shaojun, Liang Hongying, Zhang Ning, Wang Chunlin, Wang Gan, Li Yunlei, Lu Shunmin, Nie Meng, Li Weichao, Huang Dehai, Zong Yongping, A Yi, along with Chu Chen, Executive Editor at CITIC Publishing Group, and Zhu Yanling, Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the Literary Division at CITIC, were also present, along with the author Lu Xin.
“Deep Mountain,” published by CITIC Publishing Group, marks Lu Xin’s return after an eight-year hiatus and is a heartfelt and compassionate work that reflects his spiritual journey back to his roots. The novel spans 39 chapters and approximately 330,000 words, utilizing intricate imagery and rich imagination to portray the lives yearning to break free from the confines of the Taihang Mountains in northern Shanxi.
In his speech, Wu Yiqin emphasized that Lu’s avant-garde style is deeply rooted in the Chinese countryside, infusing the work with strong national and regional characteristics. “Deep Mountain” employs a high-density narrative where every character has a voice, contributing to the storytelling. The vivid details in Lu’s depiction of the village are drawn from real experiences, expanding the possibilities of rural writing.
Yan Jingming remarked that while “Deep Mountain” continues the avant-garde exploration of reality, its expressive power has grown richer. The language resonates with the poetry of 1980s and 1990s literature while interweaving fable-like irony to create a unique context. It transcends mere sentiment, offering a complex sense of compassion rather than coldness or tediousness.
Li Junhu noted that as a pioneer, Lu Xin was among the earliest to navigate the relationship between rural narrative and modernity, blending traditional folk elements with contemporary avant-garde themes. “Deep Mountain” stands as a book of memory, history, and destiny, deeply rooted in the earth.
During the seminar, experts analyzed various aspects of the novel, including its structure, poetic expression, historical representation, aesthetic significance, and avant-garde qualities. He Shaojun interpreted the title “Deep Mountain” as a metaphor reflecting the spiritual state of the rural community—“there are no doors in deep mountains, yet no one truly leaves.” Wang Chunlin, Vice President of the Shanxi Writers Association, observed that while portraying the gray and protracted daily lives of ordinary villagers, Lu also delves into the theme of life’s precariousness, seeking to capture the “infinite sadness and absurdity of the human experience.”
Nie Meng, Director of Development Research at the Chinese Writers Association, expressed that throughout her reading, she distinctly sensed a watershed moment—one side representing the vibrant agricultural past while the other hints at fading fables and the yearning for modern existence. Lu Xin’s profound insights into contemporary Chinese life and the intricate psychological landscape resonate deeply with readers.
Zhu Yanling admitted that the journey from planning to the official publication of “Deep Mountain” took considerable time, during which she recognized its significance in Lu Xin’s career. “Each of his works has a unique impact, evoking profound emotional responses. In this piece, it seems Lu is employing the most modern techniques to tell a thoroughly rural story.”