Transmitting Haoqiu zhuan in Eighteenth-Century Chosŏn Korea

<jats:sec> <jats:title><jats:bold>Abstract</jats:bold></jats:title> <jats:p>This paper focuses on the process of transmission of <jats:italic>Haoqiu zhuan</jats:italic> in eighteenth-century Chosŏn Korea. The spread of the <jats:italic>Haoqiu zhuan</jats:italic> did not involve a straightforward transmission of the Chinese text to a Korean readership, but rather a multiple process of mediation—the translation from vernacular Chinese to vernacular Korean, and the transmutation from the printed text to transcribed copies. The text was thus shaped as material for domestic consumption by and for elite women, by bringing about certain adaptations attuned to what was seen as their pressing needs. The transformation of the format and meaning of the text diluted the traces of the work’s national origin and made the distinction between the foreign and the indigenous insignificant. The process of transmission of <jats:italic>Haoqiu zhuan</jats:italic> not only highlights the fluid nature intrinsic to text transmission but also challenges the adequacy of the impact-response approach based on a nationalist reflex.</jats:p> </jats:sec>