Formation of the earliest layer of Chinese literature was influenced by oral traditions of different social and professional … See more

There is a wealth of early Chinese literature dating from the Hundred Schools of Thought that occurred during the Eastern Zhou dynasty (770–256 BC). The most important of these include the Classics of Confucianism… See more

The Chinese 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 o… See more

The rich tradition of Chinese poetry began with two influential collections. In northern China, the Shijing or Classic of Poetry (approx. 11th–7th century BC) comprises over 300 poems in a variety of styles ranging fro… See more

Early Chinese prose was deeply influenced by the great philosophical writings of the Hundred Schools of Thought (770–221 BC). The works of Mozi, Mencius, and Zhuang Zhou contain well-reasoned, carefully developed … See more

Scholars now tend to agree that modern Chinese literature did not erupt suddenly in the New Culture Movement (1910s–1920s). Instead, they trace its origins back at least to the late Qing period (1895–1911) and at most to th… See more

The first two known history books about Chinese literature were published by Japanese authors in the Japanese language. Kojō Tandō wrote the 700 page Shina bungakushi (支那文学史; "History of Chinese Lit… See more