Chinese Literature

Report by:
MAYLA DUCUSIN RAGUINDIN
One of the interesting things
about Chinese literature is that
much of the serious literature
was composed using a formal
written language that is called
Classical Chinese.
Chinese literary works
include fiction, philosophical
and religious works, poetry, and
scientific writings. The dynastic
eras frame the history of Chinese
literature and are examined one by
one.
Shang Dynasty (about 1700-
1050 BC) — Development of
Chinese Writing
No documents from that country
survive, but there are
archaeological finds of hieroglyphic
writing on bronze wares and oracle
bones.
Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) —
Basic Philosophical and
Religious Literature
The great literary works of
philosophy and religion that became
the basis for Chinese religious and
social belief stem from what is called
the Spring and Autumn Period
(770-476) and the Warring States
Period (475-221).
Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) —
Basic Philosophical and
Religious Literature
Taoism, Confucian literature,
and other prominent religious and
philosophical schools all emerged
during these two periods.
Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) —
Basic Philosophical and
Religious Literature
The Chinese call this simultaneous
emergence of religions and
philosophies the “One Hundred
Schools of Thought.”
Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) —
Basic Philosophical and
Religious Literature
The major literary achievements of
the Confucian Classics, early
Taoist writings, and other
important prose works.
Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) —
Basic Philosophical and
Religious Literature
Confucius is said to have edited a
history of the Spring and Autumn
Period called the Spring and
Autumn Annals (春秋) that shapes
Chinese thinking about its history.
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) —
Literary Disaster and Legalism
He ordered the destruction of most books
all over the empire. He even killed many
Confucian philosophers and teachers. He
allowed books on scientific subjects like
medicine or agriculture to survive. So the
“Book Burning and Burial of Scholars”
was a literary disaster.
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) —
Literary Disaster and Legalism
An early form of Buddhism was also
established in China at that time, but their
temples and literature were destroyed and
even less is known about them. The
emperor wanted to reduce the One
Hundred Schools of Thought to one that
he approved.
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) —
Literary Disaster and Legalism
The Qin Emperor favored a philosophical
school that was called Legalism (法家). This
philosophy of course justified the strong
control of the emperor and maintained that
everyone should obey him. It is thought that Li
Si taught that human nature was naturally
selfish and that a strong emperor government
with strict laws was needed for social order.
Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) —
Literary Disaster and Legalism
An early form of Buddhism was
also established in China at that
time, but their temples and literature
were destroyed and even less is
known about them.
Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD)
— Scientific and Historical
Texts
Sima Qian wrote Historical
Records that is a major history
concerning the overall history of
China from before the Shang
Dynasty until the Han Dynasty.
Tang Dynasty (618-907) —
Early Woodblock Printing and
Poetry
Li Bai (701–762) was one of the
greatest romantic poets of ancient
China. He wrote at least a thousand
poems on a variety of subjects from
political matters to natural scenery.
Tang Dynasty (618-907) —
Early Woodblock Printing and
Poetry
Du Fu (712-770 AD) also wrote
more than a thousand poems. He is
thought of as one of the greatest
realist poets of China.
Tang Dynasty (618-907) —
Early Woodblock Printing and
Poetry
Du Fu (712-770 AD) also wrote
more than a thousand poems. He is
thought of as one of the greatest
realist poets of China.
Song Dynasty (960-1279) — Early
Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature,
Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-
Confucian Classics
This helped to spread knowledge
since printed material could be
published more quickly and
cheaply.
Song Dynasty (960-1279) — Early
Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature,
Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-
Confucian Classics
Travel literature in which authors
wrote about their trips and about
various destinations became popular
perhaps because the texts could be
cheaply bought.
Song Dynasty (960-1279) — Early
Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature,
Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-
Confucian Classics
The Confucian Classics were
codified and used as test material for
the entrance examination into the elite
bureaucracy, advanced scientific texts
and atlases were published, and
important poems were written.
Song Dynasty (960-1279) — Early
Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature,
Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-
Confucian Classics
These Confucian Classics were the Five
Classics that were thought to have been
penned by Confucius and the Four
Books that were thought to contain
Confucius-related material but were
compiled during the Southern Song era.
Song Dynasty (960-1279) — Early
Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature,
Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-
Confucian Classics
The Five Classics include: The Book of
Changes, The Classic of Poetry, The Record of
Rites that was a recreation of the original
Classic of Rites of Confucius that was lost in
the Qin book purge, The Classic of History,
and The Spring and Autumn Annals that was
mainly a historical record of Confucius' native
state of Lu.
 Song Dynasty (960-1279) — Early
Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature,
Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-
Confucian Classics
The Four Books include:
The Analects of Confucius that is a book of pithy sayings
attributed to Confucius and recorded by his disciples;
Mencius that is a collection of political dialogues attributed to
Mencius
The Doctrine of the Mean
The Great Learning that is a book about education, self-
cultivation and the Dao.
 Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) — Drama
and Great Fictional Novels

In China, the Mongols established the very rich Yuan Dynasty. In
their camps, the Mongols were entertained by shadow puppet
plays in which a lamp cast the shadows of little figurines and
puppets on a screen or sheet.
 Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) — Drama
and Great Fictional Novels
The Yuan “Zaju” style of opera was similar to
their shadow plays.
Guan Hanqing is regarded as one of the best
playwrights of the times. He wrote Midsummer
Snow that was one of the most popular drama
pieces. It is a tragedy about an unjustly accused
woman who received justice after her death.
 Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) — Drama
and Great Fictional Novels
The Yuan “Zaju” style of opera was similar to
their shadow plays.
Guan Hanqing is regarded as one of the best
playwrights of the times. He wrote Midsummer
Snow that was one of the most popular drama
pieces. It is a tragedy about an unjustly accused
woman who received justice after her death.
 Ming Dynasty (1368-1644)
— Novels
The Journey to the West is based on
the historical journey of a Buddhist to
India during the Tang era to learn Buddhist
teachings and bring back scriptures and
information.
 Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) —
Novels and Pre-modern
Literature
The Dream of the Red Chamber also has an
uncertain authorship. Like the other three great
classic novels, it was written in a vernacular
language – the Mandarin language that was the
language of the Qing capital.
 Modern Era (1912-present)
— Westernized Literature
It became westernized, and the Classical
Language wasn’t used. The national government
wanted women to have more of an equal status
in society, and women writers and scholars were
taken more seriously. There was a lot
of politically oriented literature printed.
Scholars had access to foreign literature, and
many students studied abroad.
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