Editing Classical Chinese (section)

== Modern use ==
[[File:LetterFromKhubilaiToJapan1266.jpg|upright=1.2|thumb|A Literary Chinese letter written in 1266, addressed to the "King of Japan" ({{lang|lzh|日本國王}})<!-- The Emperor of Japan was referred to as the "King of Japan" in Chinese texts prior to the Meiji era --> on behalf of [[Kublai Khan]], prior to the [[Mongol invasions of Japan]]. Annotations explaining points of grammar have been added to the text, intended to aid Japanese-speaking readers.]]

Prior to the literary revolution in China that began with the 1919 [[May Fourth Movement]], prominent examples of vernacular Chinese literature include the 18th-century novel ''[[Dream of the Red Chamber]]''. Most government documents in the [[Republic of China]] were written in Literary Chinese until reforms spearheaded by President [[Yen Chia-kan]] in the 1970s to shift to written vernacular Chinese.{{sfn|Tsao|2000|pp=75–76}}<ref>{{Cite book |last=Cheong |first=Ching |title=Will Taiwan Break Away: The Rise of Taiwanese Nationalism |publisher=World Scientific |year=2001 |isbn=978-981-02-4486-6 |page=187}}</ref> However, most of the laws of Taiwan are still written in a subset of Literary Chinese. As a result, it is necessary for modern Taiwanese lawyers to learn at least a subset of the literary language.

Many works of literature in Classical and Literary Chinese have been highly influential in Chinese culture, such as the canon of [[Tang poetry]]. However, even with knowledge of its grammar and vocabulary, works in Literary Chinese can be difficult for native vernacular speakers to understand, due to its frequent [[allusion]]s and references to other historical literature, as well as the extremely laconic style. Presently, pure Literary Chinese is occasionally used in formal or ceremonial contexts. For example, the ''[[National Anthem of the Republic of China]]'' is in Literary Chinese. [[Buddhist]] texts in Literary Chinese are still preserved from the time they were composed or translated from Sanskrit. In practice there is a socially accepted continuum between vernacular and Literary Chinese. For example, most official notices and formal letters use stock literary expressions within vernacular prose.

Personal use of Classical phrases depends on factors such as the subject matter and the level of education of the writer. Excepting professional scholars and enthusiasts, most modern writers cannot easily write in Literary Chinese. Even so, most Chinese people with at least a middle school education are able to {{em|read}} basic Literary Chinese, because this ability is part of the Chinese middle school and high school curricula, and is a component of the college entrance examination. Literary Chinese in the school curriculum is taught primarily by presenting a literary work and including a vernacular gloss that explains the meaning of phrases. The examinations usually require the student to read a paragraph in Literary Chinese and then explain its meaning in the vernacular.

Contemporary use of Literary Chinese in Japan is mainly in the field of education and the study of literature. Learning {{tlit|ja|[[kanbun]]}}, the Japanese readings of Literary Chinese, is part of the high school curriculum in Japan. Japan is the only country that maintains the tradition of creating Literary Chinese poetry based on Tang-era [[tone pattern]]s.