The Holy Hole in Chinese Patriarchal Culture: Going Pop and South

Abstract

From the perspective of Chinese diaspora, this chapter lays bare the Chinese Patriarch’s Big Lie of the feminine void of holy hole to bear—to hold and to sire—the masculine holy whole. It deconstructs patriarchal mythology in high and mass culture, in sacred texts and popular television. This exposé opens with Red Sorghum, exploring backward the male-centric tradition, particularly Tao Te Ching, contributing to Mo Yan and Zhang Yimou. It concludes with the geo-affective turn to integrate popular culture from the south—Hong Kong and Taiwan. China’s millennial TV series of the wuxia (swordplay) genre has leaned heavily toward the Jiangnan (River South) style to allegorize the whole female body. Holy Hole 2.0 on TV continues to reinforce Chinese patriarchal culture through cosplay, Jiangnan style.