Zhongguo Wenxue Shi Explained

Zhongguo Wenxue Shi is a book about the history of Chinese literature by, published in 1904. It was the first known published history of Chinese literature in Chinese.^[1]

Lin Quanjia was inspired by Shina bungakushi (支那文学史; "History of Chinese Literature") by, published in 1898.^[2] The book focused on classical prose, and did not significantly explore works of fiction nor poetry.^[1]

According to Giovanni Vitello of the University of Naples "L'Orientale", due to the cultural difference in what "wenxue" meant in pre-1920s China, in this case how "humanities" was defined by the Imperial Edict of 1903, the work "was not exactly a "history" of Chinese literature as we would understand it today".^[1]

In 1922 Zheng Zhenduo criticized the book for having a title he felt was misleading.^[1]

Further reading

• Book: Doleželová-Velingerová, Milena. Milena Doleželová-Velingerová. The End of the Empire to the Beginning of the Republic. Mair, Victor. Victor Mair. The Columbia History of Chinese Literature. Columbia University Press. New York City. 2001. 711–713.
• Chen, Guoqiu (陈国球). zh:文学史的名与实:林传甲《中国文学史》考论. Wenxue shi de ming yu shi: Lin Chuanjia Zhongguo wenxue shi kaolun. Jianghai Xuekan. zh:江海学刊. 4. 2005. 1–7. zh-hans.

Notes and References

1. Vitello . Giovanni . 2013-01-01 . The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature. Two volumes. The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature, Volume I: To 1375. The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature, Volume II: From 1375 . . 20. 1/2. 54–60 . 43818367. - Cited: p. 54
2. Book: Thornber, Karen Laura. Empire of Texts in Motion: Chinese, Korean, and Taiwanese Transculturations of Japanese Literature. Harvard University Press. 2009. 9780674036253. 119.