Sinología hispánica. China Studies Review

A University-Based Construction of Asian Studies in Spain: Structural Analysis and Potential

Raúl Ramírez Ruiz , Li Qiuyang — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Asian Studies in Spain emerged in the late 1970s, driven by China’s reform and opening-up policy and Japan’s growing international influence, gradually evolving into a systematic academic field. This article examines the origins, development, and structural characteristics of Asian Studies in Spain, analyzing its contributions to Spanish cultural diplomacy and educational globalization, particularly in cultivating regional experts on Asia, attracting international students, and promoting Sino-Spanish cultural exchanges. It also explores the institutionalization process of Asian Studies in Spain and the challenges it faces. By comparing degree programs across different periods, the study reveals the evolution of Spain’s Asian Studies within the bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degree systems, highlighting the regional concentration and disciplinary diversity of its academic offerings.

Pathway of Sinological Studies of Early Spanish Dominican Missionaries

Yin Xiao — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Based on the Chinese writings and letters of Dominican priests such as Juan Cobo, Miguel Benavides, Domingo de Nieva and Tomás Mayor and other materials, this article analyses the sinological level of these authors and their attitudes towards Chinese culture, investigating the process of their learning Chinese language and culture in Manila (Philippines) and the materials on which they relied. It attempts to clarify the main purposes, methods, means, achievements of their Sinological studies, as well as how they applied their sinological knowledge in their missionary works. The present work also situates their sinological studies in the specific historical and geographical background, in order to understand and objectively evaluate the Hispanic missionary sinology from the late sixteenth to the early seventeenth century.

Comparative Study of Tang Poetry Translation from a Medio-Translatological Perspective: The Cases of Chen Guojian and Guillermo Dañino

Liu Siyu, Chen Danna — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

As a crown jewel of Chinese cultural heritage, Tang poetry is of exceptional significance in terms of translation and international dissemination. Its presence in Spanish-speaking countries has developed through nearly a century of translation practice. Among the many contributors, the translations by Chinese Hispanist Chen Guojian and Peruvian sinologist Guillermo Dañino are widely recognized as foundational contributions. This study employs the theoretical frameworks of Medio-translatology, the Three Beauties Principle, and Paratext Theory to conduct a systematic textual and paratextual comparison between these two Spanish translations. The analysis seeks to uncover the distinctive translation approaches and underlying motivations of each translator. Furthermore, through examining book reviews and conducting reader surveys, the research investigates the reception of both translated versions within the Hispanic world.

A Study on the Pragmatic Functions of Emojis in Chinese Consumers’ Digital Reviews

Li Liang — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Emojis, as a widely used multimodal resource in computer-mediated communication (CMC), have attracted considerable academic interest in recent years. However, most pragmatic studies on emojis have focused on discourse genres such as online chat and social media discourse, while research on their use in online consumer reviews remains relatively scarce. The present study aims to explore the pragmatic functions of emojis in consumer reviews and their application in this domain based on the analysis of 450 reviews collected from the Chinese review websites Dianping.com. The findings reveal that the functional distribution of emojis in consumer reviews is generally consistent with that observed in other digital discourse genres, though certain differences are also evident, primarily reflected in their decorative function. Furthermore, Chinese consumers tend to use emojis with features specific to the Chinese digital context to convey a wide range of pragmatic functions.

Cross-Cultural Variation in the Full Translation of The Peony Pavilion

Zheng Xiaorong, Liu Liu — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Mudan ting (The Peony Pavilion) is a classic play written between 1593 and 1598 by the eminent Chinese playwright Tang Xianzu (1550-1616). During the 20th century, the play was translated into numerous foreign languages, including German, French, and English. Its first complete Spanish translation, by Professor Alicia Relinque Eleta, was published in 2016 to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Tang Xianzu’s death. This analysis aims to study textual variations in the Spanish translation by comparing it with the original Chinese work, examining the process of variation, analyzing its causes and exploring cultural differences, with the purpose of demonstrating that translation is not a mechanical conversion of language, but a recreation of the translator based on the translator’s own social and historical environment, cultural traditions and the actual needs of the receiving country.

A Study on Orthographic Errors in Chinese Character Acquisition and Instructional Strategies for Students of Chinese Descent in Spain

Huang Jinxian — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

This study investigates the acquisition of Chinese characters by students of Chinese origin in Spain. Employing a research methodology that combines qualitative and quantitative approaches, a systematic analysis was conducted on the orthographic errors found in a corpus of 83 essays. The aim is to classify the characteristics of these errors, investigate their underlying causes, and, based on this, propose corresponding teaching strategies. The findings reveal that, at a macro level, incorrect characters (characters with flawed form) constitute the main type of error. A more detailed micro-analysis shows that: regarding incorrect characters, the errors of intermediate-level learners are primarily concentrated at the stroke level, whereas those of advanced learners mainly manifest at the structural component level. In the dimension of confused characters (using the wrong character), intermediate learners tend to confuse characters with similar pronunciations, while advanced learners primarily confuse characters with similar forms. Based on these characteristics and their causes, this study proposes specific teaching strategies and recommendations for Chinese character instruction targeted at students of Chinese origin in Spain.

A Comparative Study of The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville and the Shuowen Jiezi of Xu Shen

Wang Ziwei, Xu Jinjing — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Etymologies (by Isidore of Seville, Spain,7th century A.D. is the earliest etymological dictionaries in the Eastern world and which is the most important basic teaching material in Spanish educational systems. Similarly, Shuowen Jiezi, which was finished by Xu Shen in the Han dynasty, has paralleling significance in Chinese traditional culture. Both of the two dictionaries were born in a similar context, which was the beginning of a new era after the devastation of ancient civilizations. The authors of the two books were both the most erudite scholars at the time and the country they lived in. Both of them had been focusing on etymologically tracing and organizing classical knowledge. If we compare the background, main ideas, style, content, and characteristics of both, as well as their cultural differences and similarities (including values, gender notions, social roles, context, symbolic meanings, and shared perspectives), we will be able to gain a deeper understanding of the relationship between Eastern and Western civilizations. This historical and cultural perspective will not only help us better understand the development of human civilization, but it can also provide new insights for cross-cultural and second language teaching.

Methodological and Strategic Studies in the Teaching-Learning Process of Chinese Lexicon for Spanish-Speaking Students

María Sánchez Teruel — Wed, 21 Jan 2026 00:00:00 +0000

Writing in Chinese characters poses considerable difficulty, which may have led both teachers and Spanish-speaking students to prioritize developing graphemic competence over lexical competence. Consequently, given the challenges of acquiring Chinese vocabulary, this article aims to analyze the teaching and learning methodologies employed to address Chinese vocabulary through two surveys targeting teachers and students. Additionally, it investigates whether mnemonic techniques and strategies are used to help achieve lexical competence, facilitating the retention of new vocabulary and aiding its transfer from short-term to long-term memory. The data obtained will provide insight into the current state of Chinese vocabulary teaching and learning in a Spanish-speaking context and contribute to the improvement of methodologies and techniques that promote the development of effective communicative competence in Chinese.