Ancient China Literature

Chinese literature are the body of works written in Chinese, including lyric poetry,
historical and didactic writing, drama, and various forms of fiction.

China has old and rich tradition in literature, dramatics and visual arts.

Early writings have been derived from the works of Confucius (551-479 BC) and Lao-
tzu. These writings reflect about how people should act and how the society and
political system should be organized and operated. A tradition of historical writing
evolved from there on.

The history of Ancient Chinese Literature spans thousands of years. It includes

collections of poetry, historical works, religious writings, and novels.

History of Ancient China Literature

Writing in China dates back to the hieroglyphs that were used in the Shang Dynasty of
1700 – 1050 BC.

We will list and discuss some of the classical works of Chinese literature below. 

Shang Dynasty (about 1700-1050 BC) 

Four Books and Five Classics 

The Four Books and Five Classics were perhaps the most influential written works in
Ancient Chinese history. They outlined the philosophies and ideas of Confucianism.
Knowledge of these works was very important in order to pass the civil service exams. 

Four Books

 Great Learning (Confucius and Zeng Zi) - This book outlines the main themes of
Confucianism.
 Doctrine of Mean (Zisi) - This book describes the "Way" that people must live
focusing on learning and teaching as a way of life.
 Analects - A number of Confucius' speeches and discussions written down by his
disciples.
 Mencius - A collection of discussions and stories from the Confucian philosopher
Mencius.

Five Classics
  Classic of Poetry - A collection of 305 poems written between the 11th and the
7th centuries BC.
 Book of Documents - A collection of very ancient documents said to be from
early dynasties including the Xia, Shang, and Zhou.
 Book of Rites - This book contains a number of texts that describe things like
ceremonial rituals and ways people should behave.
 I Ching - The I Ching is also called the Book of Changes. It was a book of
divination that people used to try and tell the future.
 Spring and Autumn Annals - This is a historical book covering the history of the
State of Lu. It is the state where Confucius was born.

Four Great Classical Novels 

These novels are considered the greatest and most influential novels of Ancient China.
They were written during the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Their stories are very popular in
China and have been retold many times in Chinese opera, movies, and modern books.

 Water Margin (Shi Nai'an) - This book is sometimes called the Outlaws of the

Marsh. It tells the story of 108 outlaws during the Song Dynasty who gather
together to do good.
 Romance of the Three Kingdoms (Luo Guanzhong) - This book tells a
romanticized story of the Three Kingdoms including such real historical
characters as Liu Bei and Cao Cao. It also includes historical events such as
the Battle of Red Cliffs.
 Journey to the West (Wu Cheng'en) - This story tells the adventures of a
Buddhist monk who travels to India in search of sacred books. 
 Dream of the Red Chamber (Cao Xueqin) - This is a complex book with many
characters covering the rise and fall of a Chinese family during the Qing Dynasty.

History and Education

 Records of the Grand Historian (Sima Qian) - This history book was written
during the Han Dynasty around 109 BC. It gave detailed accounts of China's
history to that point and is considered one of the great history books of all time. It
is called Shiji in China.
 Bamboo Annals - An early history of Ancient China written some time before 296
BC.
 Kangxi Dictionary - A dictionary of over 47,000 Chinese characters compiled
under the orders of Emperor Kangxi and published in 1716.

Poetry 

Poetry was a very important part of Ancient Chinese life. All educated people wrote and
read poetry and it was taken very seriously as a major art form.
  Classic of Poetry (Shijing) - A collection of poetry that is part of the Five Classics
of Confucianism (see above). It is also called the Shijing or the Book of Songs.
 Songs of the South (Chu ci) - Another collection of early Chinese poetry with
poems mostly written by southern poets Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the state of
Chu.
 Nineteen Old Poems - This is a compilation of 19 poems put together during the
Han Dynasty. This poetry had a great influence on poets during later dynasties.

Interesting facts about Ancient Chinese Literature 

 Chinese inventions such as paper, woodblock printing, and movable type helped
to spread Chinese literature throughout the Chinese Empire.
 A group of legendary poets called the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove got
into trouble around 260 AD when they wrote poems criticizing the leaders of the
Jin Dynasty.
 One of the world's most famous military books, The Art of War, was written by
Sun Tzu around 500 BC.