Chinese literature

Chinese literature
Traditional Chinese中國文學
Simplified Chinese中国文学
Transcriptions
Standard Mandarin
Hanyu PinyinZhōngguó wénxué
Bopomofoㄓㄨㄥ ㄍㄨㄛˊ ㄨㄣˊ ㄒㄩㄝˊ
Wade–GilesChung1-kuo2 wen2-hsüeh2
Tongyong PinyinJhongguó wún-syué
IPA[ʈʂʊ́ŋ.kwǒ wə̌n.ɕɥě]
Wu
RomanizationTson koh vhen oh
Yue: Cantonese
Yale RomanizationJūng-gwok màhn-hohk
Jyutpingzung1 gwok3 man4 hok6
IPA[tsʊŋ˥ kʷɔk̚˧ mɐn˩ hɔk̚˨]
Southern Min
Tâi-lôTiong-kok bûn-ha̍k

The history of Chinese literature[1] extends thousands of years, and begins with the earliest recorded inscriptions, court archives, building to the major works of philosophy and history written during the Axial Age. The Han (202 BC – 220 AD) and Tang (618–907 AD) dynasties were considered golden ages of poetry, while the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1271–1368) were notable for their lyrics (ci), essays, dramas, and plays. During the Ming and Qing, mature novels were written in written vernacular Chinese, an evolution from the preeminence of Literary Chinese patterned off the language of the Chinese classics. The introduction of widespread woodblock printing during the Tang and the invention of movable type printing by Bi Sheng (990–1051) during the Song rapidly spread written knowledge throughout China. Around the turn of the 20th century, the author Lu Xun (1881–1936) is considered an influential voice of vernacular Chinese literature.

  1. ^ Wang 2017, pp. 24–25; some scholars prefer the term "Sinophone literature"

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