Which major forms of writing are included in Chinese literature?

Chinese literature is a vast and enduring heritage spanning over 3,000 years. It encompasses several major forms of writing, including:1

• Poetry: A central pillar of Chinese literature, traditionally characterized by its lyrical nature, brevity, and compactness. Major forms include shi (conventional poetry) and ci (a verse form popularized during the Song dynasty).213
• Prose: This category includes historical and didactic writings, as well as philosophical essays. Prose is divided into two primary streams: classical or literary prose (guwen or wenyan), which models itself on ancient styles, and vernacular prose (baihua), which utilizes the living, everyday language of the authors.412
• Fiction: Chinese literature features a rich tradition of storytelling, most notably represented by the four classic novels, including Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Journey to the West, Water Margin, and Dream of the Red Chamber.15
• Drama: This includes various forms of traditional Chinese opera, such as kunqu and jingxi, which integrate singing, acrobatics, and highly conventionalized performance styles to convey ethical and moral themes.16

Additionally, there are unique genres that bridge the gap between poetry and prose, such as the fu (poetic prose) and pianwen (parallel prose).2