12 Facts About Chinese literature

Formation of the earliest layer of Chinese literature was influenced by oral traditions of different social and professional provenance: cult and lay musical practices, divination, astronomy, exorcism.

Chinese literature kept consistent and accurate court records, and although their calendars varied from court to court, these disparate records could be aligned without evident contradiction by the year 841 BC, at the beginning of the Gonghe Regency of the Western Zhou dynasty.

Chinese literature influenced the written works of many Chinese historians, including the works of Ban Gu and Ban Zhao in the 1st and 2nd centuries, and even Sima Guang's 11th-century compilation of the Zizhi Tongjian, presented to Emperor Shenzong of Song in 1084 AD.

Chinese literature's quatrains describing natural scenes are world-famous examples of excellence, each couplet conventionally containing about two distinct images or thoughts per line.

Early Chinese literature prose was deeply influenced by the great philosophical writings of the Hundred Schools of Thought.

Related searches

Travel Chinese literature combined both diary and narrative prose formats, it was practiced by such seasoned travelers as Fan Chengda and Xu Xiake and can be seen in the example of Su Shi's Record of Stone Bell Mountain.

Chinese literature audiences were more interested in history and Chinese literature authors generally did not present their works as fictional.

Scholars now tend to agree that modern Chinese literature did not erupt suddenly in the New Culture Movement.

Examples of this new socialist Chinese literature include The Builder by Liu Qing ??, The Song of Youth by Yang Mo, Tracks in the Snowy Forest by Qu Bo, Keep the Red Flag Flying by Liang Bin ??, The Red Sun by Wu Qiang ??, and Red Crag by Luo Guangbin ??? and Yang Yiyan.

Some writers, such as Yan Lianke, continue to take seriously the role of Chinese literature in exposing social problems; his novel Dreams of Ding Village deals with the plight of HIV-AIDS victims.

The Chinese government continues to hold public book burnings on unapproved yet popular "spiritual pollution" literature, though critics claim this spotlight on individual titles only helps fuel booksales.

Chinese literature is increasingly available in translation- there are now several well-established websites sharing information, for example, Paper Republic, Writing Chinese, Chinese Short Stories, My Chinese Books, Chinese Books for Young Readers.