Litterae Sinarum abhinc nonnulla annorum milia coeperunt, ex primis archivis curiarum regalium usque ad mythistorias fictionis scriptae quae ad homines litteratos oblectandos tempore Domus Ming ortae sunt. Introductio impressionis stipitum per Domum Tang (618–907) evolutae, et inventio impressiomis typis mobilibus a Bi Sheng (990–1051) per Domum Song (960–1279) effectae, scientiam scriptam celeriter per regiones Sinicas divulgaverunt. Auctor Lu Xun (1881–1936) temporibus hodiernis habetur conditor litterarum baihua in Sinis.

Initium litterarum Sinarum e traditionibus oralibus variorum socialium professionaliumque graduum per musicas cultuum rerumque profanarum consuetudines (shijing),^[1] divinationem (yi jing), astronomiam, exorcismum motum est. Conatus genealogiae litterarum Sinarum derivandus ex incantamentis cantibusque religiosis (sex zhu 六祝, ut in capitulo "Da zhu" Ritus Zhou praebentur) a Liu Shipei factus est.^[2]

Multae ex primis litteris Sinicis ex Centum Scholis Cogitationis tempore Domus Zhou Orientali (770–256 a.C.n.) fiebant. Quarum maxima sunt res classicae Confucianismi, Taoismi, Moismi, Legalismi, cum operibus scientiae militaris et historiae Sinarum. Praeter libros nonnullorum poematum et carminum, plurima monumenta harum litterarum sunt philosophica et didascalica; pauca enim opera fictionis exstant. Qui autem textus eorum significationem ob eorum notiones et stilum orationis solutae tenebant.

Opera Confuciana potissimum in cultura historiaque Sinica maximi momenti erant, praecipue illa librorum copia Quattuor Libri et Quinque Classici appellata, quae pro fundamentis examinationis imperialis saeculo duodecimo selecta est. Qui noni libri ergo fundamenta rationis educationis fiebant. In duas classes digeruntur, quarum, ut arguitur, Quinque libri classici a Confucio ipso editi disputatique, ac Tetrabiblion.

Quinque libri classici sunt:

1. Libri historiales
2. Liber carminum, collectio poematum, carminum vulgarium, carminum festorum rituumque, hymnorum, et eulogiarum
3. Liber mutationum^[3]
4. Ver et autumnus, tabulae historicae Lu, civitatis ubi Confucius natus est, ab anno 722 ad annum 479 a.C.n. compilatae
5. Rituum et officiorum memoriale

Tetrabiblii partes sunt:

1. Magna scientia, liber de educatione, cultivatione sui, et Dao
2. Medium sempiternum, liber qui viam virtutis Confucianae docet
3. Ratiocinantium colloquia sive Analecta Confucii, liber dictorum sententiosorum Confucio attributorum et ab eius discipulis compositorum
4. Mencius, collectio dialogorum politicorum

Inter alia opera philosophica magni momenti sunt Micius, qui ethicum et sociale amoris includentis principium docebat, ac Hanfeizi, unus e textibus legalistis necessariis.

Inter res classicas Taoisticas sunt Dao De Jing, Zhuangzi, et Liezi. Auctores posteriores Taoismum cum Confucianismo et Legalismo miscuerunt, ex quibus Liu An (saeculo secundo a.C.n.), in libro Huainanzi ('Philosophi ex Huai-nan'), scientias geographiae topographiaeque amplificavit.

Inter res classicas scientiae militaris, liber Ars Belli, a Sun Tzu (saeculo sexto a.C.n.) confectus, fortasse erat prima quae diplomatiam inter civitates efficienter suadebat; prima commentatio in militari traditione Sinica erat, sicut Jingling Zongyao ('Collectio rationum militarium maximi momenti', 1044) et Huolongjing ('Enchiridion draconis ignei', saeculo quarto decimo).

Scriptores Sinici Anglice scribentes

• Ha Jin (哈金) (1956—)
• Chiang Yee (1903–1977)
• Amy Tan (譚恩美) (1952—)
• Yiyun Li
• Qiu Xiaolong
• Zhao Si Fang (1972—)

Scriptores Sinici Francice scribentes

• Chen Jitong (陳季同) (1852–1907)
• François Cheng (程抱一) (1929—)
• Dai Sijie (戴思傑) (1954—)
• Shan Sa (山颯) (1972—)

Scriptore Sinici Indonesice scribentes

• Kho Ping Hoo (1926–1994)

• 紅樓夢
• Fabula amatoria trium regnorum
• Iter ad occidentem
• Linguae Sinicae
• Margo Aquae
• Percam sisymbriumque requirens

• Cai, Zong-qi, ed. 2008. How to Read Chinese Poetry: A Guided Anthology. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-13941-1.
• Chang, Kang-i Sun, et Stephen Owen, eds. 2010. The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature. 2 vol. Cantabrigiae: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-11677-0.
• Chang, Kang-i Sun, et Stephen Owen, eds. 2016, 2017. 劍橋中國文學史 / 孫康宜、宇文所安主編 [The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature.] 2 vol. Taibei Shi : Lian jing chu ban shi ye gu fen you xian gong si. ISBN 9789570847031 (vol. 1), ISBN 9570847034 (vol. 1), ISBN 9789570847178 (vol. 2), ISBN 9570847174 (vol. 2).
• Chaves, Jonathan, ed. 1986. The Columbia Book of Later Chinese Poetry: Yüan, Ming, and Ch'ing Dynasties (1279–1911). Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-06149-8.
• Chen, Xiaomei, ed. 2014. The Columbia Anthology of Modern Chinese Drama. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 978-0-231-16502-0. Google Books.
• Cheng, François. 1982. Chinese Poetic Writing. Conv. Donald A. Riggs et Jerome P. Seaton. Bloomingtoniae: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-20284-1.
• Cui, Jie, et Zong-qi Cai. 2012. How to Read Chinese Poetry Workbook. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-15658-8.
• deBary, William Theodore. 2000. Sources of Chinese Tradition: From 1600 through the Twentieth Century. Vol. II. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231-11271-8. Google Books.
• Idema, Wilt L., et Lloyd Haft, eds. 1997. A Guide to Chinese Literature. Ann Arbor Michiganiae: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan. Michigan Monographs in Chinese Studies. ISBN 0892640995, ISBN 0-89264-123-1.
• Knight, Sabina. 2012. Chinese Literature: A Very Short Introduction. Oxoniae et Novi Eboraci: Oxford University Press. Very Short Introductions Series. ISBN 9780195392067.
• Lévy, André. 2000. Chinese Literature, Ancient and Classical. Conv. William H. Nienhauser. Bloomingtoniae: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0253336562.
• Lévy, André. 1991. La Littérature chinoise ancienne et classique. Presses universitaires de France. Coll. « Que sais-je ? » (no 296). ISBN 2-13-043847-4.
• Lévy, André, ed. 1994. Dictionnaire de littérature chinoise. Presses universitaires de France. Coll. « Quadrige ». ISBN 2-13-050438-8.
• Lin, Shuen-fu, et Stephen Owen. 1986. The Vitality of the Lyric Voice. Princetoniae: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-03134-7.
• Liu, James J. Y. 1962. The Art of Chinese Poetry. Sicagi: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-48687-7.
• Mair, Victor H. 2001. The Columbia History of Chinese Literature. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0231109849.
• Mair, Victor H. 1994.The Columbia Anthology of Traditional Chinese Literature. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 023107428X.
• Mair, Victor H., Nancy Shatzman Steinhardt, et Paul Rakita Goldin, eds. 2005. Hawai'i Reader in Traditional Chinese Culture. Honolulu: University of Hawai'i Press. ISBN 0824827856.
• Nienhauser, William H., ed. 1986. The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature. 2 vol. Bloomingtoniae: Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-253-32983-3, ISBN 0-253-33456-X. Google Books.
• Pimpaneau, Jacques. (1989) 2004. Chine: Histoire de la littérature. Ed. 2a. Arles: Éditions Philippe Picquier. ISBN 2-87730-702-6.
• Pimpaneau, Jacques. 1991. Chine: Littérature populaire: Chanteurs, conteurs, bateleurs. Arelate: Éditions Philippe Picquier. ISBN 2-87730-097-8.
• Schmidt-Glintzer, Helwig. 1999. Geschichte der chinesischen Literatur: Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. Ed. 2a. Monaci: C. H. Beck. ISBN 3-406-45337-6.
• Watson, Burton. 1971. Chinese Lyricism: Shih Poetry from the Second to the Twelfth Century. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-03464-4.
• Watson, Burton, ed. 1984. The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry: From Early Times to the Thirteenth Century. Novi Eboraci: Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-05683-4.
• Woesler, Martin. 2008. Chinesische Literatur der Gegenwart: Autoren, Werke, Trends: Eine Momentaufnahme 2007/2008. Bochum: Europäischer Universitätsverlag. ISBN 978-3-89966-289-4.
• Woesler, Martin, ed. 2009. Chinesische Literatur in deutscher Übersetzung: China – Ehrengast der Frankfurter Buchmesse 2009. Symposiumsband. Bochum: Europäischer Universitätsverlag. ISBN 978-3-89966-293-1.

Vicimedia Communia plura habent quae ad litteras Sinarum spectant.

• Chinese Literature in Translation. Paper Republic. 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012.
• MCLC Bibliographia studiorum academicorum. Resource Center—Literature.
• Modern Chinese Literature and Culture.
• Chinese Text Sampler. Collectio textuum classicorum et hodiernorum.
• Chinese Text Project.
• Renditions. Textus classici et hodierni conversi.
• China the Beautiful: Chinese Art and Literature. Primi textus classici.
• Chinese Text Sampler: Readings in Chinese Literature, History, and Popular Culture. Collectio annotata.
• Columbia University Press. Situs interretialis ad Cai 2008 positus. Fasciculi PDF et MP3 plus quam 75 poematum. Situs interretialis ad Cui 2012 positus. Fasciculus MP3.