Chinese Literature

Question 1

dates back to 1000BCE

Answer 1

Early Chinese literature

Question 2

After the 1800’s

Answer 2

European missionaries and traders traveled to China and the Chinese were gradually exposed to Western culture.

Question 3

In 1966-1976

Answer 3

Cultural Revolution, political and social themes dominated the published works.

Question 4

In 1989

Answer 4

Chinese university students and other citizens demanded greater democracy and led demonstrations in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square.

Writers who supported pro-democracy were arrested and other writers were prohibited to publish works that criticize the government.

Question 5

Writers who have more artistic freedom

Answer 5

live in Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore or the United States

Question 6

Chinese literature in the 90’s and onwards

Answer 6

reflect China’s past and their nationalism.

Question 7

Chinese language

Answer 7

• most ancient spoken (and probably the oldest) written language used by humans
• monosyllabic meaning words have only one syllable
• tonal language which means a word could have a different meanings when it is said upward or downward intonation, or with a high or low pitch.
• spoken language has fewer words than the written vocabulary
• made up of ideographs and not alphabets, it consists of 50,000 characters and each represent an idea

Question 8

Poetry

Answer 8

• Four famous poets lived during the Tang dynasty (A.D. 678-907).
• They were in order of birth, Wang Wei, Li-Po, To-Fu, and Po-Chu-I.

Question 9

Chinese literature recognizes the Five Classics

Answer 9

• form the foundation of their cultural and traditional life
• The Book of Changes,
• The Book of History,
• The Book of Rites,
• The Book of Odes, and
• The Spring and Autumn Annals

Question 10

During the 1200’s

Answer 10

drama and fiction developed. Chinese plays resemble European opera, combining signing and dancing with dialogue