Zhnggu wnxu 中国 文学 Chinese Literature China is the only country in the world with a literature written in one language for more than 3,000 consecutive years. Do you know how long is Chinese in literature written? This continuity results largely from the nature of the written language itself. It is the use of characters, not letters as in Western languages, that is most important in the Chinese language. The characters stand for things or ideas and so, unlike groups of letters. Thus Chinese could be read by people in all parts of the country in spite of gradual changes in pronunciation, the emergence of regional and local dialects, and modification of the characters . Reason China has a very old and rich tradition in literature and the dramatic and visual arts. Early writings generally derived from philosophical or religious essays such as the works of Confucius (551-479 BC) and Lao-tzu (probably 4th century BC). These writings were often about how people should act and how the society and political system should be organized and operated. A strong tradition of historical writing also evolved. After the fall of a dynasty, for example, a grand history of the late dynasty was commissioned and written by scholars in the next dynasty. Introduction The principal genre of Chinese literature is poetry. The earliest Chinese Poem collection is 诗Shi经jing (Classic of Poetry) is made up of 305 poems divided into 160 folk songs; early folk songs established the 乐Yue府fu诗shi form that crystallized during the Han dynasty and dominated for the next 1,200 years. Beginning with the simple complaints and longings expressed in rhymed couplets of folk songs, this form gradually became more and more complex, or “regulated,“ until it took years of study to master its formal rules of composition. Poetry became well established as a literary form during the Tang Dynasty,main contribution to Chinese literature was in the poetry of Dufu, Li Bai and many other poets. 杜Du甫fu and 李Li白 Bai are often thought of as Chinas greatest poets. Classical Poetry 李李LILI白白BAIBAI 李Li 白Bai (701762) was one of the greatest romantic poets of ancient China. He wrote at least a thousand poems on a variety of subjects from political matters to natural scenery. Drama is another old and important literary form. Chinese drama usually combines vernacular language with music and song and thus has been popular with the common people. A variety of popular and standard themes are presented in Peking Opera, which is probably the best known of several operatic traditions that developed in China. Chinese opera is a favorite artistic and cultural medium. Drama The Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature are the four novels commonly regarded by Chinese literary criticism to be the greatest and most influential of pre-modern Chinese fiction. Dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, they are well-known to most Chinese either directly or through their many adaptations to opera and various popular culture media. They are among the worlds longest and oldest novels and are considered to be the pinnacle of Chinas achievement in classical novels, influencing the creation of many stories, plays, movies, games, and other forms of entertainment throughout East Asia, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam. Chinese Novels S d mngzh 四大名著 Four classical novels Dream of the Red Chamber Romance of the Three Kingdoms Outlaws of the Marsh Journey to the West 红楼梦红楼梦 Hnglumng Sngu yny 三国演义三国演义 水浒传水浒传 Shuh zhun Xyu j 西游记西游记 It is a classic historical novel of enormous influence, is widely known in China as one of the four great Chinese classic novels. Its author LuoLuo GuanzhongGuanzhong, as the textual research goes, was a scholar lived in the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty, but his exact birth and death years are not known. Sngu yny 三三 国国 演义演义Romance Romance of the Three of the Three KingdomsKingdoms Romance of the Three Kingdoms is based on the history of the three kingdoms, Wei, Shu and Wu that strove to reunite the empire at the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The history of this period is expounded in the renowned history book Three Kingdoms, and stories of the heroes and their deeds within have also come down from various folk tales, plays, ballads and verses. Out of historical records and folktales, LuoLuo GuanzhongGuanzhong created the enduring historical and literary masterpiece. The literary value of Romance of the Three Kingdoms lies much in the vivid characters sketched in the novel: For instant,loyal Guan Yu, who is the best known Chinese historical figures throughout East Asia,revered by later generations as “the Martial Saint“ (“the Literal Saint“ is Confucius), the saint of loyalty and courage. Traditionally, he is portrayed as a red-faced warrior with a long lush beard. Alternatively, the idea of his red face could have been borrowed from opera representation, where red faces depict loyalty and righteousness. Guan Yu