Chinese Literature
Chinese Literature
Chinese Literature
• Writing in China dates back to the hieroglyphs that were used in the Shang
Dynasty of 1700 – 1050 BC. Chinese literature is a vast subject that spans
thousands of years. 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.
Chinese literary fiction
• The earliest written works in China are ghost stories and myths. Ebrey
writes how early Han literature is "rich in references to spirits, portents,
myths, the strange and powerful, the death-defying and the dazzling ".
The Chinese were especially concerned with ghosts because the
appearance of someone who had died meant that the living had
somehow failed them, usually by improper honor in burial, and the dead
would haunt the living until the wrong was righted. If the dead could not
find their family, they would find anyone nearby.
Jiangshi
The Jiangshi ( 僵屍 or 殭屍 ) is a Chinese vampire/zombie that's name
translates to 'stiff corpse'. It is a horrific creature that usually hops along, and
when it comes across a victim it will suck the life force out of them.
CHINESE MYTHOLOGY
Chinese mythology or Zhōngguó shénhuà) is mythology that has been passed
down in oral form or recorded in literature in the geographic area now known
as Greater China. Chinese mythology includes many varied myths from regional
and cultural traditions.
What is Chinese literature famous for?
The Five Classics ( Wujing)
• Shujing (“Classic of History”)
• Shijing (“Classic of Poetry”)
• Yijing (“Classic of Changes”)
• Liji (“Record of Rites”)
• Chunqiu (“Spring and Autumn’’)
Shujing (“Classic of History”)
國風 Guó fēng 160 "Airs of the States" 8th & 7th century
• The Book of Rites, also known as the Liji, is a collection of texts describing
the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as
they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods.
• The Book of Rites described the social norms, governmental organization,
and the ritual conduct during the Zhou dynasty. Believed to have been
compiled by Kongzi, the Book of Rites is the foundation of many ritual
principles that arise in later imperial China.
“Confucius”
• Was a philosopher and teacher who lived from 551 to 479 B.C.E. His
thoughts on ethics, good behavior, and moral character were written
down by his disciples in several books, the most important being the
Lunyu. Confucianism believes in ancestor worship and human-
centered virtues for living a peaceful life.
Chunqiu (“Spring and Autumn’’)
Shijing Yijing