ABSTRACT
Since the desire for a better world is an anthropological constant, it is not surprising that Chinese writers in one way or another have also conceived utopian communities. The form of their narratives follows more or less logically from their intention to construct a world different from the one they are living in, but the results of these attempts are impregnated by Chinese geographical conditions and cultural preoccupations. Chinese writers of utopian fiction posit a secluded world that is difficult to access and hence protected against outside influences: situated in a mountainous region, faraway borderlands, or overseas. It is projected into a distant, little-known past or a completely imaginary fairyland. The values prevalent in such utopias contravene the sordid practice of synchronous politics and social conventions.
