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1600 BCE
Shang Dynasty
The Shang ruled from 1600 to 1050 B.C. They were the first to leave written records in hieroglyphs. Archaeologists have uncovered turtle shells and pieces of bone with these writings on them. -
1279 BCE
Yuan Dynasty
During the Yuan Dynasty, anonymous novels were published. Two of them are a part of the four "greatest Chinese novels". These were The Romance of Three Kingdoms and the Water Marigin. Drama was also an important factor in this dynasty. As the new literary type was forming many turned to playwriting. -
1057 BCE
Zhou Dynasty
The rebellions and invasions that occurred during the Zhou dynasty led to the production of the Book of Odes in 500 B.C., a collection of war poems. During this time the origins of native Chinese philosophy, like Taoism and Confucianism, began to develop. Early works on philosophy and religion were put forth. -
221 BCE
Qin Dynasty
The Qin emperor wanted complete control, so he destroyed anything that went against his morals or beliefs. He ordered a destruction of books and even murdered many Confucian teachers and scholars. However, he did standardize the written classical language, which later helped to develop modern Chinese writing. -
206 BCE
Han Dynasty
Since paper was invented during the Han dynasty, hand-written stories and myths were introduced during this time. Poetry during this time was evolved into the fu, a poem that usually in rhymed in the verses, but not in introductory and concluding passages, which were usually in prose. -
105 BCE
Paper Invented in Han Dynasty
Cai Lun of the imperial court is believed to be the first person to create writing paper. This was important because it gave the Chinese a way to communicate, and a way to better record and preserve events and stories. -
960
Song Dynasty
Due to the improvements made on printing, literary output gained popularity. There were also improvements made in poetry regarding style. They introduced writing in guwen style, and also introduced "vernacular" storytelling. -
1050
Movable Type Invented
During the Song dynasty, Chinese inventor Bi Sheng invented the world's first known movable type system for printing. This was important as it helped to print and produce books way faster, and promoted the spread of literature and knowedgle.
