Features and Characteristics of Chinese Literature

1. Features and
Characteristics of
Chinese
LITERATURE

2. China is known as the sleeping giant not just
because of its mere size, expanse of its
geography, and its economic and military
power but because of its rich history, arts,
and literature. Many of the most
imaginative and most lyrical literature come
from this nation.
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3. Chinese Literature
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⬩ Chinese literature reflects the political and social history of
China and the impact of powerful religions that came from
within and outside the country.
⬩ Its tradition goes back thousands of years and has often
been inspired by philosophical questions about the
meaning of life, how to live ethically in society, and how to
live in spiritual harmony with the natural order of the
universe.

4. Periods of Chinese
Literature
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5. Shang Dynasty (1600 B.C.)
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⬩ During this time, the people practiced a religion based on
the belief that nature was inhabited by many powerful
gods and spirits.
⬩ Among the significant advances of this period were bronze
working, decimal system, a twelve-month calendar and a
system of writing consisting of 3,000 characters.

6. Chou Dynasty (1100 B.C.–221 B.C.)
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⬩ This was the longest of all the dynasties and throughout
most of this period China suffered from severe political
disunity and upheaval.
⬩ This era was also known as the Hundred Schools period
because of the many competing philosophers and
teachers who emerged. The most influential among them
being Lao Tzu, the proponent of Taoism, and Confucius, the
founder of Confucianism.

7. Lao Tzu
Laozi also rendered as Lao Tzu,
and Lao-Tze, was an ancient
Chinese philosopher and writer.
He is the reputed author of the
Tao Te Ching, the founder of
philosophical Taoism, and a
deity in religious Taoism and
traditional Chinese religions.
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8. Confucius
Confucius was China’s most
famous teacher, philosopher,
and political theorist, whose
ideas have influenced all
civilizations of East Asia.
Confucius was not a religious
leader in the ordinary sense, for
his teaching was essentially a
social ethic.
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9. Taoism and Confusianism
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Confucius emphasized
a code of social
conduct and stressed
the importance of
discipline, morality, and
knowledge.
Lao Tzu stressed
freedom,
simplicity, and
the mystical
contemplation
of nature.

10. Ch’in Dynasty (221 B.C.–207 B.C.)
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⬩ This period saw the unification of China and the
strengthening of central government. Roads connecting all
parts of the empire were built and the existing walls on the
northern borders were connected to form the Great Wall of
China.

11. Han Dynasty (207 B.C.– A.D. 220)
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⬩ This period was one of the most glorious eras of Chinese
history and was marked by the introduction of Buddhism
from India. China in the post-Han era also absorbed
inspiration from Buddhism and writings from India that were
translated from Sanskrit into Chinese. Buddhism gained
strength in China as disorder increased and the domination
of Confucian thought diminished.

12. Buddhism was imported from India during the
Han dynasty. Buddhist thought stresses the
importance of ridding oneself of earthly desires
and of seeking ultimate peace and
enlightenment through detachment. With its
stress on living ethically and its de-emphasis on
material concerns, Buddhism appealed to both
Confucians and Taoists.
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13. T’ang Dynasty (A.D. 618-960)
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⬩ Fine arts and literature flourished during this era
which is viewed as the Golden Age of Chinese
civilization.
⬩ The T’ang dynasty, produced the most famous poets
to write in the new verse forms.

14. T’ang Dynasty (A.D. 618-960)
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⬩ The T’ang Poets. Chinese lyrical poetry reached its
height during the T’ang Dynasty. Inspired by scenes
of natural beauty, T’ang poets wrote about the fragile
blossoms in spring, the falling of leaves in autumn, or
the changing shape of the moon.

15. A Confucian moralist, realist, and humanitarian.
Created in his poetry an image of himself as the
sober statesman.
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Tu Fu

16. Wrote in the guise of the wine-inspired genius.
His poetry was often other-worldly and ecstatic.
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Li Po

17. The humorous and sentimental. He wrote many poems
speaking bitterly against the social and economic
problems that were plaguing China.
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Po Chu-i

18. Conversation in the Mountains
by Li Po
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If you were to ask me why I dwell among green mountains,
I should laugh silently; my soul is serene.
The peach blossom follows the moving water;
There is another heaven and earth beyond the world
of men.

19. A Meeting by Tu Fu
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We were often separated How long does youth last?
Like the Dipper and the morning star. Now we are all gray-haired.
What night is tonight? Half of our friends are dead,
We are together in the candlelight. And both of us were surprised
when we met.

20. Sung Dynasty (A.D. 960 – 1279)
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⬩ This period was characterized by delicacy and
refinement although inferior in terms of literary arts
but great in learning. Professional poets were
replaced by amateur writers. The practice of Neo-
Confucianism grew.

21. The Chinese
Literature’s
Intersection with
Philosophy and
Religion
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22. Chinese Literature
⬩ Chinese literature and all Chinese culture have
been profoundly influenced by three great school
of thoughts: Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism.
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23. Chinese religions are based on the
perception of life as a process of continual
change in which opposing forces, such as
heaven and earth or light and dark, balance
one another. These opposites are
symbolized by the Yin and Yang.

24. The Chinese Literature’s Intersection
with Philosophy and Religion
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⬩ Yin, the passive and feminine force,
counterbalances yang, the active and masculine
force, each contains a ‘seed’ of the other, as
represented in the traditional yin-yang symbol.

25. Chinese Poetry
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26. Chinese Poetry
⬩ Poetry during the Han empire encompassed not only the verse
forms inherited from the Book of Songs, but also verses
inspired by shamanistic spiritual practices.
⬩ The Book of Songs, (Shih Ching) first compiled in the 6th
century B.C., is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry and is
considered a model of poetic expression and moral insight.
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27. Book of Songs
⬩ The poems include court songs that entertained the aristocracy,
story songs that recounted Chou dynasty legends, hymns that were
sung in the temples accompanied by dance and brief folk songs and
ballads.
O Oriole, Yellow Bird
O oriole, yellow bird, / Do not settle on the corn,
Do not peck at my millet. / The people of this land
Are not minded to nurture me. / I must go back, go home
To my own land and kin.
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28. Chinese Theatre
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29. Chinese Theatre
⬩ Chinese drama may be
traced to the song and
dances of the chi (wizards)
and the wu (witches) whom
the people consulted to
exercise evil spirits, to
bring rain, to insure
bountiful harvest, etc., an
origin in worship or in some
sacred ritual.
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30. Chinese Theatre
⬩ Chinese plays do not follow the unities of time, place, and
action. The plot may be set in two or more places, the time
element sometimes taking years to develop or end, and action
containing many other sub-plots.
⬩ Action reflects highly stylized movements. Hand movements
may indicate embarrassment or helplessness or anguish or
anger.
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32. Chinese Theatre
⬩ Chinese drama conveys an ethical lesson in the guise of art in
order to impress a moral truth or a Confucian tenet.
⬩ Chinese plays are long – six or seven hours if performed
completely.
⬩ Music is an integral part of the classical drama.
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33. Chinese Theatre
⬩ Make-up identifies the
characters and
personalities. Costumes
help reveal types and
different colors signify
ranks and status.
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34. Have a Glimpse of the Chinese
Literature
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1. How the Tongue Survived the Teeth, a Chinese
parable
2. The Trial of the Stone, a Chinese folklore
3. A Little Incident by Lu Hsun

35. Required Readings
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1. Drinking Alone by Moonlight by Li Po
2. The Red Cockatoo by Po Chu-I
3. A Country Boy Quits School by Lao Hsiang
4. The Frill by Pearl Buck

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mò duān
Any questions?