This Handbook presents a comprehensive overview of 3,000 years of Chinese literature from its earliest beginnings to the end of the Qing (1644-1911), the last empire of China.

Victor H. Mair is Professor of Chinese Language and Literature at the University of Pennsylvania, USA.

Zhenjun Zhang is Professor of Chinese and Asian Studies at St. Lawrence University, USA.

Part 1: Poetry Section 1: Pre-Qin and Han Poetry 1. The Classic of Poetry 2. Qu Yuan and the Songs of Chu 3. Poetry of the Han Section 2: Poetry of the Six Dynasties 4. Poetry of the Wei and Jin 5. Tao Yuanming 6. Xie Lingyun and Xie Tiao Section 3: Poetry of High Tang: A 7. Landscape Poets: Meng Haoran and Wang Wei 8. Frontier Poets: Gao Shi, Cen Shen, and Others 9. Chan Poetry of Hanshan Section 4: Poetry of High Tang: B 10. Li Bai: The Poet-Transcendent 11. Du Fu: The Poet-Historian 12. Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen Section 5: Poetry of Late Tang 13. Li He 14. Du Mu 15. Li Shangyin 16. Wen Tingyun Section 6: Poetry of the Song 17. Lu You 18. Yang Wanli's "Zhengzhai Style" Poetry 19. Li and Chan in Zhu Xi's Poetry Section 7: Lyrics of the Song 20. Liu Yong, Qin Guan and Zhou Bangyan 21. Li Qingzhao 22. Su Shi 23. Xin Qiji Part 2: Prose Section 8: Prose of Historians 24. Zuo Commentary 25. Discourse of States and Stratagems of the Warring States 26. The Grand Scribe's Records Section 9: Prose of Philosophers 27. Analects and Mencius 28. Laozi and Zhuangzi 29. Mozi and Han Feizi Section 10: Prose of Literati 30. Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan 31. Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi 32. Yuan Hongdao and Zhang Dai Part 3: Drama Section 11: Tragedy and Romance in Yuan Drama 33. Guan Hanqing and His Injustice to Dou E 34. Autumn of the Han Palace and Rain on the Wutong Trees 35. The Orphan of Zhao 36. Romance of the Western Chamber Section 12: Southern Plays of Ethics 37. Top Graduate Zhang Xie 38. The Thorn Hairpin 39. The Lute Section 13: Chuanqi Plays of the Ming and Qing 40. The Peony Pavilion 41. The Palace of Lasting Life 42. The Peach Blossom Fan Part 4: Fiction Section 14: Classical-Language Tales 43. Strange Tales and Anecdotal Stories of the Six Dynasties 44. Tales of the Tang, Song, and Ming 45. Strange Tales from Liaozhai Section 15: Vernacular Stories 46. Storytelling of the Song and the Yuan 47. Feng Menglong and His "Three Words" 48. Ling Mengchu and His "Two Slappings" Section 16: The Heroic Romance 49. Romance of the Three Kingdoms 50. The Water Margin 51. Romance of the Sui and the Tang Section 17: Novels of Spirits and Devils 52. Journey to the West 53. Canonization of the Gods Section 18: Novels of Manners and Social Satire 54. The Plum in the Golden Vase 55. The Story of the Stone 56. The Scholars Section 19: Novels of Social Exposure and Prostitution 57. The Travels of Lao Can and Exposure of the World of Officials 58. A Precious Mirror for Judging Flowers