Summary of Challenging "Ten Doctors" including Li Jianjun and Wang Binbin

# Summary of Challenging "Ten Doctors" including Li Jianjun and Wang Binbin 

Led by Mr. Li Jianjun, the "Ten Doctors" are representatives of "impartiality, strictness, and high standards" in China's literary criticism circle. The challenge to them is to ask them to act as judges and verify whether *Wang Sanfeng* can truly "secure its position" by surpassing all works in Chinese literary history with just "three axes". 

 

On January 20, 2025, Nantai publicly challenged renowned Chinese writers (winners of the Lu Xun Literary Prize, the Mao Dun Literary Prize, and the Nobel Prize in Literature), but no one accepted the challenge. Having no other choice, a second challenge was launched, targeting the following scholars: 

- Li Jianjun: Researcher at the Institute of Literature, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 

- Wang Binbin: Professor and doctoral supervisor at the Department of Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing University 

- Wang Zhaosheng: Senior Editor at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences 

- Zhao Yong: Professor at Beijing Normal University 

- Wu Jun: Professor at Fudan University (Shanghai) 

- Fu Jin: Professor at the National Academy of Chinese Theatre Arts 

- Xiao Ying: Professor at Tsinghua University 

- Huang Fayou: Professor at Shandong University 

- Shao Yanjun: Professor at Peking University 

- Liu Chuane: Professor at Hubei University 

 

My ultimate goal is to use *Wang Sanfeng* to challenge the world and climb to the pinnacle of world literature. However, the first hurdle is to surpass all works in Chinese literary history—without clearing this hurdle, climbing to the world's literary peak is nothing but empty talk. Since no renowned writers accepted the challenge, I had to turn to the "Ten Doctors", who are famous for their strictness. In my eyes, the "Ten Doctors" led by Mr. Li Jianjun are representatives of "impartiality, strictness, and high standards" in China's literary criticism circle. The challenge to them is to have them judge whether *Wang Sanfeng* can surpass all works in Chinese literary history with just "three axes". 

 

What are these "three axes"? Let's see: 

 

### The First Axe: Portraying the Chinese Nation 

This is the sacred duty of Chinese writers, yet it has been an unfulfilled obligation for thousands of years. In Chinese literary history, only Mr. Lu Xun publicly stated that he painted the soul of the Chinese people, and Mr. Bo Yang wrote *The Ugly Chinaman*. However, Ah Q portrays the dark side of the Chinese nation—like an unwashed dirty bottom—that cannot represent the Chinese nation; *The Ugly Chinaman* is no different. Literature that acts as a "doctor" criticizing flaws is good, but what the Chinese nation needs now is encouragement. 

 

Historically, the Chinese people were once called the "Sick Man of East Asia" . Today, there are even posters with the words "××××××" on travelers' suitcases at international airports! Good heavens, what is happening here? Shouldn't we reflect deeply on the image of the Chinese nation in the eyes of the world? Among the Chinese people, there are not only figures like Ah Q, but also luminaries such as Lu Xun, Zhuangzi, and Laozi. Wang Sanfeng portrays the complete figure, the dignity, and the wisdom of the Chinese nation—he is the epitome of the elite of the elite, created to showcase the beautiful side of the Chinese nation to the world. Whether this portrayal is accurate or not, 1.4 billion Chinese people are the judges. Nevertheless, in terms of its conception and theme, this work has already surpassed all works in the history of Chinese (ethnic Chinese) literature. 

 

### The Second Axe: Forging a Literary Business Card for China (and Ethnic Chinese) 

As the saying goes, "He who fails to plan for the whole cannot plan for the part; he who fails to plan for eternity cannot plan for the moment." For a country's (or a nation's) literature, a literary business card is the "monarch" of its literary tradition. A country (or nation) without such a literary business card indicates that its literature is not yet mature as a whole—it has not produced a "monarch" who leads the entire literary history, nor a standout work that is equivalent to an entire literary history, nor a work whose absence would leave one feeling as regretful as visiting China without seeing Tiananmen Square or the Great Wall. 

 

To become China's (and ethnic Chinese) literary business card, a work must meet the following criteria: 

1. At minimum, it must be a world-renowned masterpiece, and ideally a pinnacle work—otherwise, it cannot hold its head high in the world; 

2. It must be a complete portrayal of the Chinese nation, focusing on its dignity and wisdom—otherwise, it is meaningless; 

3. It must demonstrate the advancement of Chinese culture and the nobility of Chinese civilization—otherwise, it has no value; 

4. It must illuminate the world and benefit all humanity—otherwise, the world will not readily accept it. 

 

Based on these four criteria, the only work in Chinese literary history that qualifies is *Wang Sanfeng*. 

 

### The Third Axe: Creating a "National Treasure" 

"Culture defines direction; military ensures security." The "pen" (culture) and the "gun" (military) are the two wings of a nation—no country can do without either. However, while there are many military "national treasures", literature, as the essence of culture, should be the vanguard treasure of culture. Yet, which literary work can bear the weight of being called a "national treasure"? 

 

The two wings of culture and military must be balanced. If one is strong and the other weak, the "roc of national rejuvenation" will struggle to take flight; even if it barely does so, it will lose its way and stumble. "Culture" must carry great weight—it must take the world and humanity as its compass, and its weight must lie in being "the best in the world". The commanding heights of world morality are contested through "culture" and "civilization". The third goal of *Wang Sanfeng* is to climb to the peak of these commanding heights. This requires the support of two propositions: "Chinese culture is the most advanced in the world" and "Chinese civilization is the noblest of humanity". 

 

*Wang Sanfeng* proves that Chinese culture is the most advanced in the world by answering the "three ultimate questions of humanity"; it verifies that Chinese civilization is the noblest of humanity through the "Four Sentences of Hengqu"  ("Establishing the mind for heaven and earth, establishing the destiny for the people, continuing the lost teachings of the sages, and opening up eternal peace for all generations"). It is the only work in the history of Chinese (ethnic Chinese) literature that has climbed to the peak of the commanding heights of world morality. 

 

How heavy is this "treasure"? A comparison with America's "world number ones" makes it clear: the United States can dominate the world with more than a dozen aircraft carrier strike groups, but it cannot make its culture the world's best; it ranks first in the world in military, economy, and technology, but it cannot make its civilization the noblest of humanity. This means that the weight of *Wang Sanfeng* surpasses all of America's "world number ones" and its over a dozen aircraft carrier strike groups. Is that not heavy? Is there any other work in Chinese literary history that carries such weight? 

 

*Wang Sanfeng* is about to fight a "world war" in the cultural arena—and this is no trivial matter. *Wang Sanfeng* dares to challenge the world, and it is also willing to undergo the strictest scrutiny by the entire Chinese people before its "expedition".