AbstractAbstract: The teaching of classical Chinese literature has long faced the dilemma of focusing on word translation while neglecting the text’s meaning, emphasizing knowledge transmission over the cultivation of thinking. “There are fish in the North Sea” is a classic opening text of “Zhuangzi: The Happy Wanderer,” serving as a core text that embodies Zhuangzi’s philosophical thoughts and literary characteristics. It is also an important carrier for implementing core literacy in language construction and application, thinking development and enhancement, aesthetic appreciation and creation, as well as cultural inheritance and understanding in classical Chinese teaching. Taking the lesson on “There are fish in the North Sea” as an example, this article connects modern and traditional, text and philosophical thought, language and culture through three dialogues. It analyzes the professional and academic value of its teaching design from four dimensions: the logical construction of contextual introduction, the hierarchical advancement of text interpretation, the generation strategies of critical activities, and the inheritance and sublimation of cultural connotations, providing practical references for how classical Chinese can implement core literacy in language subjects.1. Contextual Introduction: Awakening Cultural Symbols and Constructing Cross-Time and Space DialogueSymbol Awakening: Activating Cultural Cognitive ReservesThe teacher guides students to associate modern technological products such as Huawei’s Kunpeng 920 chip and the Y-20 Kunpeng transport aircraft, transforming the abstract concept of Kunpeng from an ancient mythical beast into a perceivable national treasure symbol for students. This design meets the requirement of constructing a real context: by using modern objects familiar to students, it awakens their potential cognition of the grandeur, power, and transcendence of the Kunpeng symbol, laying a cognitive foundation for the subsequent analysis of the Kunpeng image in text interpretation.Problem-Driven: Pointing to the Core Issues of the TextThe core question of the introduction phase—Why, after five thousand years of great China, are the leading technologies and national treasures all named after Kunpeng?—is not merely a question to spark interest but points to the core issue of the text: the cultural connotation of the Kunpeng image. This question traces modern phenomena back to traditional roots, forming the starting point of a chain of inquiry that guides students into text reading with a need for cultural tracing, achieving a deep coupling of the introduction goal and the text interpretation goal, avoiding a disconnection between the introduction and the main teaching.
2. Text Interpretation: Close Reading and Image DeconstructionThe core of close reading lies in keyword deconstruction and image analysis. This class focuses on the images of “Kun” and “Peng,” using etymological analysis to deeply explore the aesthetic characteristics of the images.The Image of Kun: A Combination of Exaggeration and Symbolism of HabitatThe teacher guides students to focus on “The Kun is so large that its size is unknown,” analyzing the expressive effect of “unknown”—not that it cannot be measured, but that it is an exaggeration that transcends cognitive boundaries, reflecting Zhuangzi’s imagination of vastness without limits. At the same time, by interpreting the attributes of the North Sea as a barren land (the ocean at the northernmost point of the Earth, where the sun never shines, dark and deep), the association between habitat and image is established: the dark and quiet environment contrasts with the extraordinary qualities of Kun, laying the groundwork for its transformation into Peng.Deconstruction of the Character “Hua”: From Linguistic Form to the Essence of LifeThe character “Hua” in “transformed into a bird” is the “eye of the text.” The teacher guides students through the thought-provoking question of whether “Hua” can be replaced by “Bian,” leading them to deconstruct its deeper meaning: on the semantic level, students discover that “Bian” refers to external changes in form (like Sun Wukong’s “72 transformations” where the form changes but the essence does not), while “Hua” refers to an internal transformation of essence; on the character form level, the teacher combines the oracle bone script of “Hua” (the symmetrical structure of a living person facing up and a dead person facing down) to explore its life metaphor of “birth-death-rebirth,” thus relating it to the phoenix-like transformation of Kun into Peng—this process is not only a change in form but also an elevation of the realm of life. This method of analyzing the origins of words and meanings achieves a fusion of language construction and aesthetic appreciation, allowing students to understand the meaning of “Hua” while experiencing the splendid imagination of Zhuangzi’s literature.The Image of Peng: A Multidimensional Analysis of Grandeur and WisdomThe teacher guides students to analyze the image of Peng from five dimensions: size (the back of Peng, unknown in its vastness), strength (the water striking three thousand miles), height (those who ride the wind can soar ninety thousand miles), ambition (to migrate to the South Sea), and wisdom (it moves with the June wind). The broad back contrasts with the giant size, continuing the technique of exaggeration; the background of the water striking refers to the sea movement caused by the June whirlwind, highlighting the grandeur of strength; the analysis of the meaning of “to ride the wind” (to gather strength by rolling clay into a circle) combined with the number ninety thousand (a virtual reference to the ultimate height) reflects the extraordinary height; the association of the North Sea (Xuanwu: darkness, cold) and the South Sea (Zhuque: brightness, life) with the constellations explores the lofty ambition of migrating to the South Sea; focusing on the “Xi” (wind) in “moves with the June wind” interprets the wisdom of Peng waiting for the right moment and acting with the wind. This multidimensional image analysis transforms the abstract mythical beast into an aesthetic object with characteristics and qualities, fulfilling the cultivation of aesthetic appreciation and creativity.3. Philosophical Inquiry and Cognitive Enhancement, Deepening Humanistic GoalsThe ultimate aim of text interpretation is to excavate the ideological connotations. The teacher guides students to focus on phrases like “wild horse, dust, all living things are blown by breath” and “the sky is azure, is that its true color? Is it far and without limits?” through group discussions to conduct critical inquiries:The Philosophical Understanding of Dependence in All ThingsStudents compare the commonalities between the wild horse, dust (small things), and the great Peng (large things)—all are blown by breath, concluding that all things depend on something. They then question whether Peng is free. This inquiry breaks through the one-dimensional understanding of Peng as a symbol of freedom, guiding students to understand Zhuangzi’s philosophy of relative freedom and cultivate dialectical thinking.Cosmic Reflection on Cognitive LimitationsRegarding “the sky is azure, is that its true color? Is it far and without limits leading to visual bias?” the teacher guides students to think about human cognitive limitations regarding the sky—”Is the blue sky its true color, or is it a visual bias caused by distance?” This relates the commonality between Peng’s view and human perception of the sky: cognitive perspective determines cognitive results. This inquiry elevates text interpretation from image analysis to the philosophical height of cosmic cognition, allowing students to experience Zhuangzi’s thinking traits of transcending reality and questioning essence.Life Insights of Gains and LossesSome students propose that after Peng transforms into a bird, it can no longer return to the waters of the North Sea, leading to the insight that there are gains and losses in life. This viewpoint reflects the personalization of text interpretation—students relate Peng’s transformation to their own life experiences, achieving a fusion of text meaning and individual experience, which is a concrete manifestation of cognitive development and enhancement.4. Critical Activities: From Teacher-Led to Student-Generated Strategy DesignThe core of a critical classroom is the active participation of student thinking, rather than one-way teaching by the teacher. This class constructs a student-centered critical learning environment through three strategies: question design, discussion organization, and feedback guidance.Question Design: Gradual Transition from Closed to OpenThe design of classroom question chains follows a cognitive gradient:
- Basic Questions (Closed): “Where does Kun live?” “What are the characteristics of Peng’s body?”—aimed at ensuring all students participate in basic knowledge;
- Critical Questions (Open): “Can ‘Hua’ be replaced by ‘Bian’?” “Is it worth it for Peng to transform into a bird?” “Is the great Peng free?”—aimed at stimulating diverse thinking and encouraging students to express personalized viewpoints;
- In-Depth Questions (Exploratory): “Why doesn’t Zhuangzi write whether Peng reaches the South Sea?” “What is the symbolic meaning of the South Sea?”—aimed at guiding students to transcend the surface of the text and explore Zhuangzi’s writing intentions. This gradient question design accommodates students’ cognitive differences while promoting thinking from lower to higher levels.
5. Cultural Inheritance: From Textual Imagery to the Sublimation of Cultural SymbolsOne of the ultimate goals of teaching classical Chinese literature is cultural inheritance and understanding, which is to make students recognize the modern value of traditional texts. The class achieves the sublimation of the Kunpeng image from textual imagery to cultural symbols through associative expansion and symbol interpretation.Cross-Textual Association: Expanding the Historical Context of Cultural ImageryThe teacher guides students to associate the “Kunpeng” imagery in Tang and Song poetry:
- Li Bai’s “—a symbol of youthful ambition;
- Dufu’s “It is uncertain whether to fly south, changes have Kunpeng”—a portrayal of enduring ambition despite old age;
- Li Qingzhao’s “Ninety thousand miles of wind, Peng is soaring”—a reflection of openness and transcendence after experiencing hardships.
This cross-textual association allows students to see the historical evolution of the Kunpeng image: from a philosophical symbol in Zhuangzi’s writing to a cultural symbol of spiritual solace for later literati, thus understanding why Kunpeng can become the naming choice for national treasures—its embodiment of transcending oneself and pursuing greatness is the cultural gene of the Chinese nation.Modern Transformation: Highlighting the Contemporary Value of Cultural SymbolsAt the end of the class, the teacher quotes Wen Yiduo’s statement that “the imprint of Zhuangzi is forever left in the culture of the Chinese people,” linking the interpretation of the Kunpeng image to the spirit of contemporary youth: “What insights does the transformation, leveraging, and migration of Kunpeng offer to the growth of contemporary youth?”—this question connects traditional culture with students’ realities, allowing the spirit of Kunpeng to move from the text into life, achieving a unity of cultural inheritance and contemporary concern.