Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book explores the origins of the term in the West from etymological and philological perspectives. It analyzes its various meanings and core elements, including the extension of its connotations in different cultural contexts, and summarizes their distinctive features. The book explores the acceptance, application and transformation of the word travelling to China and its variation brought out by Chinese culture and language. It discusses the relationship between the keyword and the reconstruction of Chinese literary criticism, probes into the relevance of the word from the West to traditional Chinese culture, and makes some theoretical reflections. The book seeks to fully present the complexity of the chosen keywords in Western literary criticism as a product of heterogeneous cultural contexts and experiences.