Pre-Modern Chinese Literature: Home

Chinese literature is one of the oldest, dating back some 3600 years, and richest in the world. The most fruitful periods of Chinese literature occurred during the various dynasties which held power throughout the nation's history, as well as the numerous inter-dynastic eras. Due to its long arc, Chinese literature can be an especially difficult subject to start research on and gain a familiarity with. This guide serves as an introduction to Pre-Modern Chinese Literature, defined here as the period between the founding of the Shang Dynasty in ~1600 BCE and the fall of the Qing Dynasty in 1912 AD, for undergraduate and graduate students in fields that have some relation to Sinology. For example, this could be research conducted on the rise of translations from Chinese to English during the modernist period in the twentieth century, or a comparative study of natural subjects expressed in the poetry of the Tang Dynasty and the English Romantic period.

Resources found within the guide fall into four groups: literary anthologies, reference histories, web resources on pronunciation and romanization, and a list of relevant journals. Lastly, this guide assumes no familiarity with written Mandarin or Classical Chinese and all presented resources are either translations into English or originally produced in English. 

Library of Congress Call Numbers with Subject Headings:

• Chinese Fiction: PL2415-PL2443 (History) & PL2625-PL2653 (Collections)
• China--History: DS701-DS796
• Chinese Poetry: PL2306-PL2355.8 (History) & PL2517-PL2565.8 (Collections)
• Transliteration: P226

Keywords:

• Chinese Literature
• Poetry
• Prose
• Drama

Search Terms:

• Dynastic China
• Chinese Literature in Translation
• Spring and Autumn Period
• Warring States Period