Learn about traditional Chinese literature

A semester-length survey of traditional Chinese literature, from the Canon of Odes through Dream of Red Chamber—no Chinese language required!

Self-paced Online Course with 20+ hours of video lessons (plus Q&A sessions!), just $299!

In this online course, you'll learn about Chinese literature from the earliest poems up to the start of the 19th century and familiarize yourself with some of the major landmarks:

• The Canon of Odes (Shījīng 詩經/诗经)

• Laozi and Zhuangzi

• Qu Yuan and the Chǔ Cí 楚辭/楚辞

• Works of history like the Zuǒzhuàn 左傳/左传 and the Shǐjì 史記/史记

• Poetry from the Northern and Southern Dynasties

• Tang Poetry, some of the best-known Chinese poems

• Song dynasty lyric poetry

• Yuan dramas

• Ming and Qing novels, including the Story of the Stone/Dream of Red Chamber Hónglóumèng 紅樓夢/红楼梦

No knowledge of Chinese is assumed or required! All reading will be in English translation, although the Chinese original will also be provided for those who want it.

Student Testimonials (previous courses)

Randy
USA (living in China)

Jim
USA

Susan
Taiwan (living in Australia)

Chris
USA (living in Finland)

Margreet
Netherlands (living in NZ)

Anand
India

Who is this for?

For Readers

The course will follow Stephen Owen's An Anthology of Chinese Literature, with occasional supplemental readings from other books (which will be provided). We'll be reading through several passages of Chinese literature each week, and we'll cover a broad range of genres and time periods.

For Non-native and Heritage Speakers

All of the readings in the course will be in English, and no knowledge of Chinese is required. However, the Chinese originals will also be provided, and weekly reading sessions will be available for those who want to read the works in the original.

Lifetime Access

The course is entirely self-paced, and like all of our courses, you'll still be able to access all of the materials after you're finished. No need to stress about time—you can go through the lessons on your own time, and ask us for help whenever you need it!

Curriculum

Intro: Angel Island Poems and the Weight of Tradition

Lesson 1 The Shi jing: Ancestors, Commoners, and the State

Lesson 2 “Young people, read the Shi jing!” Poetry, rhetoric, and diplomacy

Lesson 3 The Laozi and the Zhuangzi

Lesson 4 Qu Yuan: the Chu ci tradition and the poet’s persona

Lesson 5 History and the Historian (Zuozhuan and Shiji)

Lesson 6 Songs, Ballads, and Poems

Lesson 7 Bamboo Grove, Orchid Pavilion

Lesson 8 Extraordinary Men and Strange Occurrences

Lesson 9 Tao Yuanming and the Figure of the Poet

Lesson 10 Northern & Southern Dynasties Poetry and Literary Theory

Lesson 11 Tang I: Meng Haoran, Wang Wei

Lesson 12 Tang II: Li Bai, Du Fu

Lesson 13 Tang III: Bai Juyi, Han Yu, Meng Jiao

Lesson 14 Tang IV: Examination Culture and the Margins of the Canon

Lesson 15 Song Lyric Poetry: Li Qingzhao, Su Shi, Xin Qiji

Lesson 16 Yuan Drama and Ditties

Lesson 17 Ming Novels: Three Kingdoms and Shuihu zhuan

Lesson 18 Fiction and Authenticity

Lesson 19 The Story of the Stone

Lesson 20 The Story of the Stone II

About this course

This is a semester-length (but self-paced) course on premodern Chinese literature, spanning from the earliest extant Chinese literature in the Canon of Odes (Shījīng 詩經/诗经) through the Story of the Stone (Hónglóumèng 紅樓夢/红楼梦), published in 1791 CE.

The Chinese literary tradition stretches back three millennia and contains more treasures than we could cover in ten semesters. We’ll be pacing ourselves: our goals in this course are to survey the landscape of Chinese literature up to the start of the 19th century and familiarize ourselves with some of the major landmarks.

No knowledge of Chinese is assumed or required. That said, I will be delighted to provide original texts for anyone interested, and if there’s sufficient interest we could organize an additional weekly session for reading through texts together.

By the end of our course, you should have a working knowledge of many of the major works of Chinese literature, an understanding of the forms and genres in which they were executed, and a sense of how those forms and genres developed. Ours will be a whirlwind tour, but it should offer enough of a sense of the terrain for you to come back and explore at leisure if you are interested in doing so, as I hope you will be.

Your Instructor

Brendan O'Kane

After spending more than a decade as a translator in Beijing, Brendan returned to his hometown of Philadelphia for graduate study of Ming and Qing fiction. He has taught courses in literary translation and Chinese literature at Beijing Foreign Studies University and Bryn Mawr College. He was a co-host for Popup Chinese and a co-founder of Paper Republic, and his writing and translations have appeared in the LA Review of Books, Foreign Policy, Pathlight, and other publications.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I go at my own pace? Will I still be able to access the course once I've finished it?

Yes! Brendan originally taught it as a live course, but it's now converted into a self-paced course.

You get lifetime access, so we'll keep everything available online so that you can go through it at your own pace and review it whenever you want to!

How much Chinese do I need to know to take this course?

None! This is not a language course, so it will be taught entirely in English. All readings will be in English, although we also provide the original Chinese for those who wish to read the originals.

How long does the course take to complete?

There are 20 lessons, and each lesson is about an hour. The 10 recordings of Q&A sessions are about an hour each, plus there's some assigned reading for each lesson. So altogether, about 50 hours of work is required to complete the course.

Will I need anything (apps, etc.) in order to take the course?

Only the main textbook is required, as all other readings are supplied in PDF form.

- An Anthology of Chinese Literature - Beginnings to 1911 by Stephen Owen (required; note that the author has generously made the PDF available for free)

However, there are some other books that you may also find interesting and useful:

- The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature edited by William H. Nienhauser

- Cambridge Illustrated History of China by Patricia Buckley Ebrey

What does "lifetime access" mean?

In practical terms, it means the course materials will be available online for as long as Outlier is in business. If we do ever go out of business or otherwise need to remove the course for any reason, we'll make the material available for you to download for a period of at least 6 months.

Can I get a refund if I decide the course isn't for me?

Yes! We have a 30-day, no questions asked refund policy. If you decide you don't like the course for whatever reason, just reach out by then and I'll be happy to give you a full refund.

Will there be assignments or homework?

You'll need to set aside time each lesson to read the assigned passages.

Can we collaborate with other students or form study groups?

Definitely! There are over 100 students in the course community, so there are plenty of people of all backgrounds and interests that you can interact with. And sure, working together is no problem!

Self-paced Online Course with 20+ hours of video lessons (plus Q&A sessions!), just $299!

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Rated 4.8/5 by 1000's of Chinese learners

30-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE!

We believe in the quality of our products and are committed to your satisfaction. That’s why we offer a 30-Day Money Back Guarantee on all purchases. If you are not completely satisfied with your purchase, simply contact us within 30 days for a full refund, no questions asked.