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The Shang dynasty was a small empire in northern China. There aren't any documents from the era, but there are archaeological finds of hieroglyphic writing. The hieroglyphics evolved later into Chinese characters.
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Great literary works of philosophy and religion came from the Spring and Autumn period and the Warring States period. Taoism, Confucian literature, and other religious and philosophical schools emerged during this period. This emergence of schools was called "One Hundred Schools of Thought".
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The Emperor wanted to reduce the One Hundred Schools of Thought, so he ordered the destruction of most books. He even killed many Confucian teachers and philosophers. Another school called Legalism was favored in the Qin dynasty.
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Sima Qian wrote Historical Records that is a major history concerning the overall history of China from before the Shang Dynasty until the Han. People were more free to pursue invention when the influence of philosophy calmed down.
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The Tang dynasty received a growing influence from Buddhist religions. The greatest contribution has been poetry from Dufu, Li Bai, and many others.
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One of the era's technological advances was the creation of the movable type. Travel literature became more popular with authors writing about their trips to various destinations. Confucian Classics were codified and used as test material for entrance examination into elite bureaucracy.
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Dramatic Opera theaters were opened and some of China's best dramatic scripts were written. Two of the four novels that are generally considered China's best literary classics were written in vernacular language. Playwrights adopted plots and features.
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In the 19th century, foreign literature became better known. The last of China's four great classic novels were written called Dream of the Red Chamber. Educated Chinese had access to foreign literature and were more influenced by western culture.
