The Xúngēn movement (simplified Chinese: 寻根文学; traditional Chinese: 尋根文學; lit. 'search for roots') is a cultural and literary movement in mainland China emphasizing local and minority cultures.^[1][2] It began in 1980s and was similar to the back-to-the-land movement.^[1] Its premise is that the Cultural Revolution damaged a pluralistic Chinese identity and traditions that had existed for centuries, and that the reconstruction of that identity requires a healthy appreciation of local cultures. Furthermore, the century of modernization and cultural and political iconoclasm had only severed Chinese traditions. Some of the key writers are Han Shaogong (韓少功), Mo Yan, Ah Cheng (阿城), and Jia Pingwa (賈平凹).