China has a very
rich tradition in literature and the dramatic and visual arts.
Chinese literature can be traced back to thousands of years. The
advent of
woodblock
printing during the
Tang Dynasty
(618-907),
and the invention of
movable type
printing
by
Bi Sheng
(990-1051)
during the
Song Dynasty
(960-1279)
helped to promote written knowledge throughout China like never
before.
China is perhaps
the only country in the world where the literature is written in one
language for more than 3,000 consecutive years. The Chinese
literature can be traced back to at least the 14th century BC.
This language lays stress on the use of characters, and not
letters as in Western languages. These characters denote specific
things or ideas. Hence, each piece of Chinese literature has a rich
and varied visual appeal. Thus calligraphy is an art that is greatly
enjoyed in China since the last 16 centuries.
One may require up
to more than 1000 characters to read or write simple Chinese. This
is the greatest disadvantage of the Chinese literature, and has made
it difficult to spread the skills of reading and writing this
language.
Chinese literature
can be divided into four major historical eras namely: Classical
Literature, Contemporary Literature, Modern Literature and Present
day Literature.
Classical
Literature: This era spans from the earliest period and
includes works from three thousand years ago to the late Qing
Dynasty (1644 - 1911). This language is written in a way that varies
to a great extent from present day Chinese. The script under this
realm permeates the thoughts of a culture that embraced slavery, as
this was developed under the reign of centralized and unified
government. The Chinese literature during this era had hardly any
links with religion or least of all the literature of foreign
cultures.
Contemporary
Literature: This era embraces the works from the late Qing
Dynasty to the May Fourth Movement of 1919 (a patriotic movement
against imperialism and feudalism). This phase saw an advent of
novels, poetry and other works ringing with a theme of patriotism
and a revelation of social ills.
Modern
Literature: This era lasted from the year1919 until the
foundation of modern China in 1949. This period is of significant
importance as it was greatly influenced by world literature, and
provided means of amiable communication between writers and readers.
The Chinese literature during this phase attached great importance
to people's lives and a future of strong political tendencies.
Present day
literature: This period has evolved since the establishment of
the People's Republic in 1949. This era has seen the birth of a
great number of responsible writers who have deepened the literary
forms and content.
Thus Chinese
literature has seen several changes over the last several centuries
and continues to be a language that has a rich and varied heritage.
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