The <i>Biji xiaoshuo</i> 筆記小說 Tradition and News Media: The <i>Dianshizhai Pictorial</i> 點石齋畫報 as a Case Study

Abstract This article explores the narrative strategies of the Dianshizhai Pictorial in relation to the biji xiaoshuo tradition, focusing on its adaptation of earlier zhiguai materials within late Qing commercial media. Drawing from works like Yuewei caotang biji, the Pictorial embraced moral instruction, knowledge expansion, and the investigation of the strange. In contrast to the emotional and allegorical tone of Liaozhai zhiyi, the Dianshizhai Pictorial adopted a more concise and rational narrative mode, reframing supernatural tales to fit the expectations of its readership. By cross-referencing earlier anecdotes with current events, it enhanced textual credibility and reinterpreted the romanticized scholar-fox spirit encounters as either mistaken beliefs or deceptions. Lithographic images intensified emotional tone and strangeness, transforming intertextual reference into a habitual strategy. By manipulating text-image tension, the Pictorial engaged readers’ fascination with the strange while fulfilling commercial imperatives. In bridging the imaginative flexibility of xiaoshuo with the evidentiary demands of journalism, it reshaped traditional storytelling in the realm of illustrated news. This study contributes to our understanding of genre hybridity and media transformation in late Qing print culture.