Chinese

• Classical Chinese


  The formal written language used for much of the serious Chinese literature
• Types of Chinese literary works

  • Fiction
  • Philosophical and religious works
  • Poetry
  • Scientific writings
• The grammar of the written Classical Language is different than the spoken languages of the past two thousand years
• The written language was used by people of many different ethnic groups and countries during the Zhou, Qin and Han eras spanning 1050 BC to 220 AD
• After the Han Dynasty, the written language evolved as the spoken language changed, but most writers still based their compositions on Classical Chinese
• Shang Dynasty (about 1700-1050 BC)


  Development of Chinese Writing
• Shang Dynasty


  • Small empire in northern central China
  • No documents survive, but hieroglyphic writing found on bronze wares and oracle bones
• Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC)


  Basic Philosophical and Religious Literature (Confucius)
• The Zhou Dynasty lasted for about 800 years, but their original territory was broken up into dozens of competing kingdoms that finally coalesced into several big and warring kingdoms by the end of the Zhou era
• Prominent religious and philosophical schools that emerged during the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476) and the Warring States Period (475-221)

  • Taoism
  • Confucian literature
  • Other prominent religious and philosophical schools
• The Chinese call this simultaneous emergence of religions and philosophies the "One Hundred Schools of Thought"
• Confucius is said to have edited a history of the Spring and Autumn Period called the Spring and Autumn Annals that shapes Chinese thinking about its history
• Probably most of the philosophical and religious works of the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period were destroyed. If there were great fictional books created, they have been lost
• The main contributions of the Spring and Autumn Period and Warring States Period to Chinese literature were the prose works of the Confucian Classics and the Taoist writings, and preserved poems and songs
• Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC)


  Literary Disaster and Legalism
• The Qin Dynasty standardized the written Classical Language. A minister named Li Si introduced a writing system that later developed into the Modern Chinese writing
• Standardization of the written language was meant to help control the society, and the standardized writing system also helped people all over the country to communicate more clearly
• Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD)


  Scientific and Historical Texts
• Confucianism was revived during the Han Dynasty. Confucian texts were rewritten and republished. Confucianism was mixed with the Legalism philosophy of Li Si
• The Han Dynasty's major contributions were historical texts and scientific works
• Historical and scientific texts from the Han Dynasty

  • Historical Records by Sima Qian
  • Scientific texts
• Printing wasn't available for wide publication of information during the Han Dynasty
• Cai Lun (50-121)


  Said to be the first person in the world to create writing paper, which was important for written communication
• Advanced mathematical texts showing advanced mathematics for the times were written during the Han Dynasty
• Tang Dynasty (618-907)


  Early Woodblock Printing and Poetry
• Prominent Tang Dynasty poets

  • Dufu
  • Li Bai
• Li Bai (701-762)


  One of the greatest romantic poets of ancient China, wrote at least a thousand poems on a variety of subjects
• Du Fu (712-770 AD)


  One of the greatest realist poets of China, wrote more than a thousand poems reflecting the hard realities of war, dying people living next to rich rulers, and primitive rural life
• Song Dynasty (960-1279)


  Early Woodblock Printing, Travel Literature, Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-Confucian Classics
• The invention of movable type during the Northern Song period helped to spread knowledge since printed material could be published more quickly and cheaply
• Travel literature in which authors wrote about their trips and about various destinations became popular during the Song Dynasty, perhaps because the texts could be cheaply bought
• The Confucian Classics codified during the Song Dynasty

  • The Five Classics
  • The Four Books
• The Five Classics


  • The Book of Changes
  • The Classic of Poetry
  • The Record of Rites
  • The Classic of History
  • The Spring and Autumn Annals
• The Four Books


  • The Analects of Confucius
  • Mencius
  • The Doctrine of the Mean
  • The Great Learning
• From the Song Dynasty onwards, the Confucian Classics were the texts people needed to know in order to pass an examination for the bureaucracy of China
• Confucianism, as codified during the Song era, became the dominant political philosophy of the several empires until modern times
• Song Dynasty scientific and technical advancements

  • Mechanical engineering advancements with gears, pulleys and wheels
  • Shen Kuo's discoveries of true north, magnetic declination, and the magnetic needle compass
  • Su Song's scientific treatises and inventions like the hydraulic-powered astronomical clock tower
• Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368)


  Drama and Great Fictional Novels
• China's Dramatic operatic theaters with human actors speaking in vernacular language were developed during the Yuan Dynasty
• Two of the four novels that are generally considered China's best literary classics were written in vernacular language during the Yuan Dynasty