CHINESE

LITERATURE

GROUP 1

ARBOLEDA, QUEENIE ROSE F.

DE CASTRO, ROSALIE P.

TAN, GLAIZA A.

ROSITA, ARLYN

POLINTANG, SONIA

PASAJOL, JAY-AR M.
INTRODUCTION

Chinese literature is one of the major literary heritages of the world, with an
uninterrupted history of more than 3,000 years, dating back at least to the 14th century BC. Its
medium, the Chinese language, has retained its unmistakable identity in both its spoken and
written aspects in spite of generally gradual changes in pronunciation, the existence of regional
and local dialects, and several stages in the structural representation of the written graphs, or
characters.

CUSTOMS AND TRADITIONS OF CHINA

The flag of China was originally adopted on October 1, 1949

Red – Communist Revolution and tradition color of the people
Huge Gold Star – Communism
Four smaller stars – social classes of the people (working class, peasantry, urban petite
bourgeoisie, national bourgeoisie)

 The republic of China has an area of 9,597 million sq.km. and its capital city is Beijing.
 The famous landmark in China is the “Great Wall of China”
 has 23 provinces, 5 autonomous region, 4 municipalities and 2 special administrative
regions
 Religions and beliefs of Chinese people are: Islam, Catholicism, Protestant, and Atheist.
 The most famous Chinese teacher is Confucius.
 EDUCATION - greatly influenced by Confucius

LANGUAGE 1. Mandarin
2. Wu
3. Cantonese
4. Xiang
5. Min
6. Hakka
7. Gan

̌ 𝒕𝒐
P𝒖 ̅𝒏𝒈𝒉𝒖𝒂
̅ (National Language)

FOOD - cuisine is heavily influenced by geography and ethnic diversity

FAMOUS TRADITIONS:
 WEDDING
 CHINESE NEW YEAR
 LANTERN FESTIVAL
Top 10 Famous Writers in Modern China
1. Lu Xun (鲁迅)

Lu Xun (1881-1936) is known as China’s greatest modern writer of the 20th century.
He was also known for his sharp and unique essays and created more than 600
articles. He was the head of the Chinese Left-Wing Writers League in Shanghai in the
1930s. Mao Zedong (1893-1976) evaluated him highly, calling him “Commander of
China’s cultural revolution.” He also wrote many famous stories such as Diary of a
Madman(1918) and Kong Yiji (1919)

2. Lao She (老舍)

Lao She (1899 –1966) was a well-known Chinese novelist and dramatist, he made
significant contributions Chinese literature of 20th century. The novel Rickshaw Boy
and the play Teahouse are his most well-known works.
 3. Zhou Zuoren (周作人)

Zhou Zuoren (1885- 1967), the younger brother of the renowned writer Lu Xun, was a
Chinese writer, mainly known as an essayist and an outstanding translator. He was
one of the most important Chinese essayists in the 1920s and 1930s. He translated lots
of important works from Japanese literature, Classical Greek literature, and English
literature.

4. Shen Congwen (沈从文)

Shen Congwen (1902–1988), from Fenghuang County, Hunan province, was a great
modern Chinese writer and historical relics research scholar. Bian Cheng (The Border
Town) and Changhe (The Long River) are his best novels, while Chundeng Ji (Lamp
of Spring) and Heifeng Ji (Black Phoenix) are his most famous collections of short
stories.
 5. Lin Yutang (林语堂)

Lin Yutang (1895 -1976) was a noted modern Chinese writer, translator and linguist.
He left a large number of Chinese and English works, including novels, essays,
literary criticism, cultural commentary, biographies, English textbooks, dictionaries,
translations and so on. His most inportant works are The Importance of Living (1937),
Moment in Peking (1939) and Between Tears and Laughter (1943).

6. Cao Yu (曹禺)

Cao Yu (1910-1996) is a famous modern Chinese dramatist and drama educator who
is often called “the Shakespeare of China”. Thunderstorm (1933), Sunrise (1936) and
The Wilderness (1937) and Peking Man (1940) are his most important dramatic
works.
 7. Laozi

Laozi, (Chinese: “Master Lao,” or “Old Master”), original name (Wade-Giles) Li Er, deified as Lao Jun, Tai
Shang Lao-Jun, or Tai Shang Xuanyuan Huangdi, also called Lao Dun, or Lao Dan, (flourished 6th century
BCE, China), the first philosopher of Chinese Daoism and alleged author of the Daodejing (q.v.), a
primary Daoist writing.

8. Confucius

Confucius was a Chinese Teacher, politician, editor and philosopher of Chinese history
His father, Kong He, was an officer in the Lu army. He died when Confucius was 3 years
old.
 9. Qian Zhongshu (钱钟书)

Qian Zhongshu (1910 – 1998) was a Chinese scholar and writer. He is equalled by no
one in erudition and scholarly achievements in the 20th century. His most well-known
work is his satiric novel Fortress Besieged . He also made great contribution in
digitizing Chinese in his later years.

10. Sin-Leqi-unninni
 The Analects of Confucius

 Author

CONFUCIUS: PERSONAL INFORMATION

 Real name: Kong Qiu

 Birthday: 551BC, Lu
 Died: March 9, 479 BC, Lu (71-72 y/o)
 He was born in Zou, Lu State
 Confucius was a Chinese Teacher, politician, editor and philosopher of Chinese
history
 His father, Kong He, was an officer in the Lu army. He died when Confucius was
3 years old.
 His mother, Yan Zhengzai, raised Confucius alone after the death of his father.
 Confucius married Qiguan at the age of 19. A year after, she gave birth to their
firstborn, Kong Li

 Meaning and symbolism

 The Analects of Confucius – collection of books in which conversations between
Confucius and his disciples are stated.
 Teaches us moral lessons we can apply to our everyday lives for the betterment
of ourselves & the entire humanity

 When it was written

 It is believed to have been written during the Warring States period (475 BC-
221BC), and it achieved its final form during the mid-Han dynasty(206 BC-220
AD)
 Main concept and character
 Meng Tzu – A young patrician that was sent by his father to study under
Confucius
 Meng Wu Po – The son of meng I Tzu
 Duke Ai – The Duke of Lu in 494-468
 Wang – sun Chia – Commander in chief of wei
 Kuan Chung – A stateman who built the power of the Chi Kingdom
 Master Tseng – Disciple; Leader in the Confucian community of Lu
 Yang Huo – Userper of the Chi family
 Kung-san Fu-jao – Revolted against the Chi family
 Chieh YU – A madman
 Po – Yu – Confucius’ son
 Yan-yan – A native of Wu, distinguished for his literary knowledge.
 The New Year's Sacrifice

Author:

Lu Xun (Wade–Giles romanisation: Lu Hsün) was the pen name of Zhou Shuren (25 September
1881 – 19 October 1936), a leading figure of modern Chinese literature. Writing in Vernacular
Chinese and Classical Chinese, he was a short story writer, editor, translator, literary critic,
essayist, poet, and designer. In the 1930s, he became the titular head of the League of Left-Wing
Writers in Shanghai.

Lu Xun was born in Shaoxing, Zhejiang. As was common in pre-modern China, Lu Xun had
many names. His birth name was "Zhou Zhangshou". His courtesy name was "Yushan", but he
later changed that to "Yucai". In 1898, before he went to the Jiangnan Naval Academy, he took
the given name "Shuren"—which means, figuratively, "to be an educated man".[1] The name by
which he is best known internationally, "Lu Xun".

Meaning/Symbolism:

The New Year’s Sacrifice is a sacred rite that takes place in the sensitive New Year period in
China. The Narrator makes a description of the end of the lunar year and as well the traditions
and celebrations that take place in the Chinese New Year such as setting candles forth, cooking
food, and praising of the gods. Lun Xun’s The New Year’s Sacrificeis symbolically used to
portray a country where a woman has a low social standing where Xianglin’s Wife finds herself
driven mad by the combined forces religion, feudal marriage, and the gullibility of her villagers.

The New Year’s Sacrifice is a symbolic indictment of the ideology of chastity among the women
and their subordination to the male gender. The protagonist who in her twenties initially appears
as a window is never connected with a name in the entire story. Rather, she is only calledthe
Xiang Lin’s wife, symbolizing the aforementioned subordination. It is notable that she is
hardworking and upholds honesty.

In “The New Year’s Sacrifice,” Lu Xun portrays a country woman who is driven mad by the
joint forces of feudal marriage, religion, superstition, and the gullibility of the villagers and
herself.

When it was written:

Written: February 7, 1924

Source: Selected Stories of Lu Hsun, Published by Foreign Languages Press, Peking, 1960, 1972

Transcribed: Original transcription from coldbacon.com

HTML Markup: Mike B. for MIA, 2006

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Main Concept and Characters:

The New Year’s Sacrifice is a holy ritual that takes place in the sensitive New Year period in
China. The narrator, Lu Xun, is an educated individual who hopes for a change in Chinese
society. Since Lu Xun was attacking social problems through his writings, he wanted to show us
an example of an unfair treatment to women in China. Xiang Lin’s wife is the protagonist, a
widow of two husbands. The New Year’s Sacrifices symbolically represent a country where
woman’s with low social standing are discriminated against. Xiang Lin’s Wife finds herself
driven mad by the combined forces of religion, feudal marriage, and the gullibility of her
villagers. In addition, Xiang Lin’s wife was battling depression and loneliness the entire story
because of the way the Chinese community viewed her as a widow. Throughout the story Xiang
Lin’s wife was always trying to receive approval from the family she worked as a maidservant
and the neighbors. Society always looked at her as below themselves. It was interesting to me
how the novel “New Year Sacrifice” uses flashbacks to tell the story. Some of the themes
mentioned in the story are Religion Vs. non-believers, superstition, women’s right and marriage
practices. I found really interesting how this story does not have a happy ending like must of the
stories that I have read. Also, I found it questionable how the protagonist who is in her twenties
is never connected with a name in the entire story. Rather, she is only called the Xiang Lin’s
wife, symbolizing ideology of women subordination to the male gender. In the story, we can
notice how Xiang Lin’s wife is a hardworking woman and indorses honesty. In the end, nothing
changes, Xiang Lin’s wife dies, never finding peace, while the villagers continue to live
selfishly.
 Tao Te Ching

Author:Laozi

Laozi, (Chinese: “Master Lao,” or “Old

Master”), original name (Wade-Giles) Li
Er, deified as Lao Jun, Tai Shang Lao-Jun,
or Tai Shang Xuanyuan Huangdi, also
called Lao Dun, or Lao Dan, (flourished 6th
century BCE, China), the first philosopher
of Chinese Daoism and alleged author of
the Daodejing (q.v.), a primary Daoist
writing.

Meaning/symbolism

The first character ‘Tao’ is 道. It has

several meanings, among them is ‘the way’
or ‘the path’. The second character ‘Te’ is
德. It is often translated as ‘virtue’. The
third word ‘Ching’ is 经. It can mean a
classic or scripture.

When and why it was written

Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching

(The Book of The Way and its Virtue)

Tao Te Ching is the 2,500 years old source to Taoism, written by the legendary Taoist
philosopher Lao Tzu. In 81 short chapters, he presented the world according to Tao, the Way,
and how mankind should adapt to it. The book has become one of the foremost world classics of
wisdom – maybe even more relevant today, than it was to Lao Tzu’s contemporaries. This
translation of the text focuses on the clarity and simplicity by which Lao Tzu expresses his
fascinating cosmology and profound ethics. Each chapter is thoroughly explained, also regarding
how this old wisdom can be understood and applied today.

The oldest and major source to Taoism is Tao Te Ching (also spelled Dao De Jing), which
translates to The Book on the Way and Virtue. It was written by the legendary Lao Tzu (Lao Zi)
somewhere between the 7th and the 4th century BC in China. The old classic still has a lot to
teach us.
 Tao Te Ching consists of 81 chapters about the Way: its mystery, its
cosmology, and what it teaches us about how to conduct our lives the wisest.

Sîn-lēqi-unninni was a mašmaššu who lived in Mesopotamia in the period between

1300 BC and 1000 BC. In literary circles, however, he is remembered for having
compiled the best-preserved version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. His name is listed in
the text itself, which was unorthodox for works written in cuneiform.

MEANING

The Epic of Gilgamesh, an epic poem from Mesopotamia, is amongst the earliest surviving works of
literature. ... The story centers on a friendship between Gilgamesh and Enkidu. Enkidu is a wild man
created by the gods as Gilgamesh's equal to distract him from oppressing the people of Uruk.

SYMBOLISM

Gilgamesh is rich in religious symbolism. Religious rituals in Mesopotamia involved sacrifices, festivals,
sex, dream interpretation, and shamanic magic, all of which appear in the story. Enkidu’s hirsuteness
symbolizes the natural, uncivilized state. The walls of Uruk symbolize the great accomplishments of
which mortals are capable. In the context of the ancient king who built them, they represent the
immortality he achieved through his acts. Bulls represent explosive, destructive natural power, and the
ability to wrestle a bull suggests humanity’s ability to harness nature’s power. This symbolism accounts
for Enkidu’s interpretation of Gilgamesh’s dream about the bull in the Cedar Forest. Enkidu says the bull
is Humbaba, and that the act of wrestling the bull is Shamash’s blessing. Later in the poem, Enkidu and
Gilgamesh do subdue a bull together, perhaps suggesting that humankind has the power to conquer
famine.

WHEN AND WHY IT WAS WRITTEN?

Gilgamesh is the semi-mythic King of Uruk in Mesopotamia best known from The Epic of Gilgamesh
(written c. 2150 - 1400 BCE) the great Sumerian/Babylonian poetic work which pre-dates Homer's
writing by 1500 years and, therefore, stands as the oldest piece of epic world literature. Epic of
Gilgamesh is the first literary work in history that has been written down and has been discovered. It
reflects the myths and stories that were told in ancient Sumeria, that by itself was a new political
structure that would evolve into an empire.

MAIN CONCEPT AND CHARACTERS

The main theme in The Epic of Gilgamesh is that wisdom and kindness are superior attainments to
immortality, and immortality may symbolize all self-centered attainments such as strength and power.

Enkidu, formerly misread as Eabani, is a central figure in the Ancient Mesopotamian Epic of Gilgamesh.
Enkidu was formed from clay and water by Aruru, the goddess of creation, to rid Gilgamesh of his
arrogance. Gilgamesh, the legendary king of Uruk in ancient Mesopotamia.
Shamhat

A temple prostitute sent by Gilgamesh to civilize Enkidu. Shamhat seduces Enkidu and he sleeps with her
for six days and seven nights. She brings him back to Uruk with her where he first encounters Gilgamesh.

Ninsun

Gilgamesh's mother and a goddess. She prays for Gilgamesh and Enkidu before they embark to fight
Humbaba in the cedar forest.

Humbaba/Huwawa

The Guardian of the cedar forest. Humbaba is defeated and killed by Gilgamesh and Enkidu.

Ishtar/Irnini

Goddess of Love, Fertility, and War, and daughter of Anu. Ishtar sends the Bull of Heaven to attack
Gilgamesh after he spurns her advances.

Anu

The father of the Sumerian Gods. Ishtar appeals to him for help after Gilgamesh spurns her advances.

Urshanabi

The boatman who takes Gilgamesh over the waters of the dead to see Utnapishtim.

Utnapishtim

Instructed by Ea to build a boat before the flood that destroyed the city of Shurrupak. Utnapishtim is
granted immortality for his role. Gilgamesh seeks him out after Enkidu's death. Utnapishtim tells
Gilgamesh of the flood and tells him where to find a magic plant that can grant immortality.

The Bull of Heaven

Referred to in some translations as "Gugalanna," the Bull of Heaven was sent to punish Gilgamesh for
rejecting Ishtar's sexual advances. Gilgamesh and Enkidu slay the Bull of Heaven and insult Ishtar.
Siduri

A barmaid and alewife that Gilgamesh encounters on his journey into the Underworld. Siduri resides in a
cottage by the sea. She discourages Gilgamesh on his pursuit for immortality but ultimately directs him
to the boatman Urshanabi.

Enlil

The storm god, wind god, and god of destiny.

Lugalbanda

The father of Gilgamesh, a great hero king of Uruk.

Aruru/Mammetum

The mother goddess who established life and death.

Nergal

Lord of the underworld.

Ninurta

The god of war, chaos, and silence.

Shamash

The god of light and the sun, he aids Enkidu and Gilgamesh in their fight with Humbaba.

Sin

The god of the moon.

Sumuqan

The god of cattle.