The Cambridge History of Chinese Literature gives an account of 3,000 years of Chinese literature, accessible to non-specialist readers as well as scholars and students of Chinese. From the beginnings of the Chinese written language to the lively world of internet literature, these two volumes tell the story of Chinese writing, both as an instrument of the state and as a medium for culture outside the state. These volumes treat not only poetry, drama, and fiction, but early works of history and the informal prose of later eras. The first volume begins with the question of the Chinese written language and the earliest inscriptions, dating from the late second millennium BC. In doing so, it traces the beginnings of one of the longest continuous literary traditions in the world. By the end of the period, there was a fully evolved commercial print culture, encompassing writing in both the older classical language and an emerging urban vernacular. The Chapters in this volume chart the rise and fall of major dynasties and the role of the court in literary production, the cultural influences of other Asian countries, including the introduction of Buddhism, and the social and material contexts of the most important authors. The contributors keep in mind the traditions that preserved classical texts as much as the conditions that originally produced them.