Program overview
The Ancient Chinese Literature program, simply put, involves studying Chinese literary works from the pre-Qin period to the late Qing dynasty, including poetry, prose, novels, and drama. You'll learn classics like the Book of Songs, Songs of Chu, Tang and Song poetry, and the Four Great Classical Novels—but it goes beyond that: you'll also delve into the historical context, ideological schools, and aesthetic evolution behind these works. Core courses include History of Ancient Chinese Literature, Pre-Qin and Han Literature, Wei-Jin and Southern-Northern Dynasties Literature, Tang and Song Literature, Yuan-Ming-Qing Literature, Classical Philology, Poetry Prosody, and Ancient Literary Theory. This major is especially suited for students who love reading, are fascinated by historical stories, or want to understand why Chinese people place such high value on poetry. If you have the patience to pore over ancient texts, are willing to grapple with classical Chinese, and don't mind writing lengthy papers, you'll find it very rewarding. Chinese universities have a natural advantage in this field: many institutions (like Peking University, Fudan University, and Nanjing University) have dedicated ancient book research institutes or national studies academies, with libraries housing rare editions and facsimile materials, and professors who are often leading experts in the field. For international students, studying here not only gives you access to firsthand sources but also helps you rapidly improve your language skills in a Chinese-speaking environment.