This book includes the history of Chinese literature before 1949. Moreover, it has included the literature history of different nationalities in the history of China and the records of folk literature history, reflecting literature from different classes.

Part I. Literature in Pre-Qin Period.- 1. Overview.- 2. Chinese Literature in the Pre-Zhou Period.- 3. The Culture of Rites and Music in the Zhou Dynasty and The Book of Poetry.- 4. Thriving Development of Historical Prose in Pre-Qin Period.- 5. Contention of a Hundred Schools of Thought and Prose of Scholars.- 6. Qu Yuan and Song Yu.- Part II.   Literature in the Qin and Han Dynasties.- 7. Overview.- 8. Literature in the Qin Dynasty.- 9. Literature in the Western and Eastern Han Dynasties.- Part III. Literature in Wei, Jin, and the Southern and Northern Dynasties.- 10.   Overview.- 11. Literature in the Wei and Jin Dynasties.- 12. Literature in the Southern Dynasties.- 13. Literature in the Northern Dynasties.- Part IV. Literature in the Sui Dynasty, Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.- 14. Overview.- 15.    Literature in the Early Tang Dynasty.- 16. Literature in the Heyday of the Tang Dynasty.- 17. Literature in the Middle Years ofthe Tang Dynasty.- 18. Literature in the Late Years of the Tang Dynasty and the Five Dynasties.- Part V.   Literature in the Song, Liao and Jin Dynasties.- 19. Overview.- 20. Poems in the Song Dynasty.- 21. Ci in the Song Dynasty.- 22. Prose and Novels in the Song Dynasty.- 23. Literary Classics in Liao, Jin, Western Xia and Other Ethic Areas.- Part VI. Literature in the Yuan Dynasty.- 24. Overview.- 25. Poetic Drama in the Yuan Dynasty.- 26. The Rise of Southern Opera.- 27. Sanqu in the Yuan Dynasty.- 28. Poetry in the Yuan Dynasty.- 29. Novels and Prose in the Yuan Dynasty.- Part VII. Literature in the Ming Dynasty.- 30. Overview.- 31. Poetry and Prose in the Ming Dynasty.- 32.   Opera in the Ming Dynasty.- 33. Novels in the Ming Dynasty.- Part VIII. Literature in the Qing Dynasty.- 34.   Overview.- 35. Integration and Expansion of Prose Theories.- 36. Poetry in the Qing Dynasty.- 37. Revival of Ci in the Qing Dynasty.- 38. Opera in the Qing Dynasty.- 39. Novels in the Qing Dynasty.- 40. Prosperity of Popular Literature.

This book includes the history of Chinese literature before 1949. It firstly outlines the development process of Chinese literature and basic features and then discusses them according to the literary genre, for the literature of each era. This book gathers established scholars in the field and presents their latest research in the Chinese literature history studies. Moreover, it has included the literature history of different nationalities in the history of China and the records of folk literature history, reflecting literature from different classes. In the limited space of this book, the writers who have been loved by the Chinese people for three thousand years are discussed, such as Qu Yuan, Tao Yuanming, Li Bai, Du Fu, Su Shi, Xin Qiji, Yuan Haowen, Nalan Xingde, and so on. Careful elaborations are made on each writer together with quotations and analysis of their work. Yuejin Liu, Deputy Director of the Department of Literature and Philosophy of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), Member of the Academic Division of CASS, researcher and doctoral supervisor.

Presents the latest research from well-established scholars in the field Presents more obvious Chinese style, compared with other works on the history of Chinese literature Reflects literature from different classes and nationalities in the history of China