China’s artistic and cultural achievements over the past 3,000 years are the basis of great pride for the Chinese people. The rulers of China’s dynasties emphasized their role as protectors of the country’s cultural tradition, supporting visual artists and writers and creating elaborate palace and temple complexes to demonstrate their fitness to rule. China’s heritage was also available to those residents who were not literate in the Chinese language, often through the medium of drama, which brought stories from Chinese history and literature into even remote towns and villages.
In the 20th century China underwent a number of revolutionary political changes that led many Chinese to challenge the value of their country’s cultural heritage. China is the home of the world’s longest continuous tradition of writing, dating from the first use of Chinese characters for purposes of ritual divination during the Shang dynasty (1570-1045 bc). The earliest Chinese literary works date from the Western Zhou dynasty (1045-771 bc). Chinese poetry, often personal and lyrical in tone, reached a high point during the Tang dynasty (ad 618-907). New forms of verse based on the structures of well-known songs were popul
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