In ancient Chinese literature, they believed that the ideal hero is not a man of great strength, not a warrior or a soldier who defended the country against invaders, but rather a man who possesses a great memory and excellent wisdom. In ancient China these men are their famous scholars.
One of these scholars is Confucius. Confucius is one of China’s greatest scholars who ever lived to which until today; Confucianism is very pervasive in every Chinese literature. Chinese literature’s centerpiece of Confucianism is written n the Classics, which contained in the two sets of books referred to as the Five Classics and the Four Books.
Before going further, let us first learn something about Confucius. Confucius is the Latin word for the Chinese name Kung-fu-tze (Kung being his family name; fu, his given name; and tze, the word for Master). He was born in the province of Lu (now Shantung). His father is a military commander who died while Confucius was 3 years old. At his early stage, he already mastered the learning and knowledge of his day. When his mother died, he was on despair and secluded himself for more than two years. During his seclusion that he formulated much of his philosophy. By putting together the materials which makes up the Five Classics, Confucius became the father of Chinese Literature.
In Chinese literature, its heart lies on its poetry due to the rhythm and the harmony of sound which innate to each
Chinese temperament. The Buddhism religion was introduced into China from India during the Han dynasty in the period 202 BC – 220 AD. This religion becomes the major religion of China to which it creates a momentum for literary creativity. And during the T’ang Dynasty (618-907 AD) had become the “Golden Age of Chinese Poetry”.China had produced three of its greatest poets in the middle of 8th century. They are Li Po, Tu Fu, and Po Chu-i. Li Po’s works had been widely translated in many languages while Chinese scholars consider Tu Fu as far more superior in the three poets.
During the Golden Age of Chinese Poetry, drama as a form of literature was also established. But the drama has reached its climax during the time of the Mongol Dynasty. Today, Chinese drama is still popular amongst the Chinese people that practically, every Chinese town has its own theater for this.
Chinese novels had gradually developed and flourished during the 13th century up to the present. And for the last century, Chinese novels were greatly influence by Russia which is still evident up to this day.