Abstract:

The rise of Virtual Reality (VR) cinema provides a new entry point for the modern transformation of traditional Chinese aesthetics. Anchored in the core of Youguan (Roaming Observation) aesthetics, this paper explores the activation and reconstruction of Youguan aesthetics within VR film narratives. This exploration starts from the philosophical connotation of Zhuangzi’s concept of“you”(free roaming) and proceeds through the cinematic transformation of Lin Niantong’s Jingyou (Camera Roaming) theory. VR cinema is not merely an accumulation of technological spectacles; its deep narrative logic inherently resonates with Chinese Youguan aesthetics. The spatial construction of“shifting scenes with moving steps,”the embodied mode of viewing, and the dialectical unity of physical and spiritual roaming can all be elucidated within the Youguan theory. By using domestic VR films as case studies to investigate the manifestation of Youguan aesthetics, this research aims to provide an analytical framework endowed with Chinese theoretical subjectivity for the study of domestic VR cinema.

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