For the outsiders, Chinese literature remains a hidden seam in the rich strata of Chinese culture. As a matter of fact, China possesses one of the world's major literary traditions. Its texts have been preserved for over 3,000 years. From centuries, they have woven a variety of genres and forms encompassing poetry, essays, fiction and drama; each in its own way reflecting the social climate of its day through the high spirit of art. Chinese literature has its own values and tastes, its own reigning cultural tradition and its own critical system of theory.

Chinese literature may be divided into three major historical periods that roughly correspond to those of Western literary history: the classical period, from the 6th century BC through the 2nd century AD; the medieval period, from the 3rd century to the late 12th century; and the modern period, from the 13th century to the present.

Classical literature refers to the earliest period and covers works from three thousands years ago to the late Qing Dynasty (1644 - 1911). The oldest examples of Chinese writing are inscriptions on bones and tortoise-shells, dating probably from the 14th century BC. Written in an ancient form of language that is very different from present day Chinese, it needs to be carefully studied to be understood. Since it was nearly always developed under the reign of centralized and unified government, it is imbued with the thoughts of a culture that embraced slavery and a feudal society.

The medieval literature embraces the works from the late Qing Dynasty to the May Fourth Movement of 1919 (a patriotic movement against imperialism and feudalism). As the decadent reign of the Qing failed to inspire the minds of people, the literary forms had remained unchanged; till the Opium War in 1840. Then they absorbed the impact of western thoughts as foreigners poured in China and established their colonies. Novels, poetry and other works began to appear with a theme of patriotism and a revelation of social ills.

The modern period began in the 13th century and continues in the present. Initially, it was characterized by a vigorous vernacular literature that preceded by several centuries the appearance of modern colloquial literatures in the West. The growth of Chinese fiction and drama during the Yuan (Yan or Mongol) dynasty (1279-1368) may have been the result of the refusal of many scholars to serve the Mongol regime; instead they turned their talents to new fields, such as fiction and drama. Vernacular literature continued to develop through the modern period, until it finally coalesced with a new and more inclusive literary movement in the early years of the 20th century.

As the China is made of more than 50 ethnic groups, the literature has a great contribution from all of them. That makes the chinese literature as one of the huge & precisious literatures of the world.