Gold Mountain Dreams: Classical-Style Poetry

This work attempts to shed light on some characteristics of the genre through the study of classical-style poems published in Chinese newspapers in San Francisco Chinatown.It aims to show that classical-style poetry although imagined by some as “old-fashioned” was and still is written in overseas Chinese communities. For the practitioners the form is not just a literary pursuit or pastime but also a means of identity construction and cultural expression a way to demonstrate and preserve their sense of being Chinese on foreign soil.