Studying Literary Chinese lays the foundations for our critical engagement with Chinese worlds, both past and present. We gain unmediated access to those worlds and meet their inhabitants on their own terms.
Through Literary Chinese, we encounter people of the past with the fullest possible understanding of their own language and modes of expression. But studying Literary Chinese also urges us to assess our own assumptions in two important ways.
First, we face dramatic differences. These demand that we step outside the terms of our own experiences and instead open ourselves to other ways of thinking about the world and acting in it.
Second, we recognise points of continuity. Since many of the legacies of traditional Chinese culture given weight in the present have been transmitted through Literary Chinese, its influence on modern and contemporary Chinese languages, thought, and cultural discourse is pervasive, though the relationship between past and present is often complex. Texts written in Literary Chinese have also been influenced by and, in turn, have decisively shaped languages and cultural expressions elsewhere in Asia.
Overview
ANU offers Australia’s most comprehensive pathway for studying traditional China, comparable to those offered by leading institutions worldwide.
The ANU Literary Chinese language offering is unique for the analytical depth and its breadth of coverage. Elementary and intermediate courses introduce the main grammatical structures of texts from the pre-Qin era (before 221 BC) and apply those lessons to texts from later periods.
At the advanced level, students can explore subjects ranging from anecdotal literature and historical narratives to Buddhist philosophy and excavated texts. Through extensive engagement with different types of Literary Chinese writing, students gain insight into how the language was used across a range of historical and cultural contexts.
Students also develop the skills and knowledge required for philological translation, critical analysis and a deeper understanding of history. The emphasis on close reading of texts and arguments enables even those already familiar with this textual tradition to reach new levels of understanding rarely matched elsewhere.
Study options
Literary Chinese courses can be taken individually as electives by students studying Modern Chinese or other disciplines, or they can contribute towards a Literary Chinese Minor.
Before enrolling, students are encouraged to have some knowledge of written Modern Chinese or a related Chinese variety, or a background in Japanese or Korean. Students with previous experience in Literary Chinese can complete a placement test to enter at an intermediate or advanced level.
The Literary Chinese Minor at ANU is unique in offering a broad range of advanced courses focused on specialised topics. A different topic is offered each semester, allowing students to enrol more than once and explore the full range of subjects available. Courses can be studied either on campus or online.
Undergraduate courses include Literary Chinese 1, Literary Chinese 2, and Advanced Literary Chinese.
Visit ANU Programs and Courses for study options.
ANU Students:
- Minor (24 units)
- Learn online or on Campus
- Can be incorporated into Bachelors and/or Masters programs as electives
- Study Abroad Opportunities: Year In Asia, Study Tours & In-Country Leaning Opportunities
Non-ANU Students:
- Learn online or on Campus as a Non Award Student
- Learn online via Open Universities Australia
