When did the realistic tradition of China ancient literature begin?

The realistic tradition of China ancient literature can be traced back to the pre-Qin period, but its rise and development mainly occurred after the Tang Dynasty.

In the pre-Qin period, Confucianism emphasized the concern and exploration of social reality and deeply reflected on real life, which was reflected in the Book of Songs and Spring and Autumn Annals.

Han Shu written by Ban Gu in Han Dynasty is China's first official history which is based on facts and pays attention to true description. He is also an important founder of China's ancient realistic literature.

In the Tang Dynasty, with the prosperity of social economy and the improvement of cultural openness, people began to pay attention to personal feelings and details of life. A large number of literary works with real life as the theme appeared in the Tang Dynasty, such as Han Yu's Shi Shuo and Bai Juyi's Pipa Xing, all of which have the characteristics of realism. At the same time, poetry, prose, novels and other literary forms were fully developed in the Tang Dynasty, which laid a solid foundation for China's ancient realistic literature.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, novels and operas became the two core schools of ancient literature in China, among which A Dream of Red Mansions, Outlaws of the Marshes, The Romance of the West Chamber and other works fully demonstrated the realistic features of ancient literature in China, which had high artistic value.

In short, from the pre-Qin Dynasty to the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the realistic tradition of China ancient literature has been continuously developed and enriched. There are rich realistic literary heritages in each historical period, which provide a solid foundation for the development of realistic literature in later generations.