It's a question that plagues teachers and students alike, in classrooms all over the world. How do I make classic literature interesting? Perhaps no other nation has such a large amount of classical writing as China, and perhaps no other nation is trying to find the answer as publicly.

In China, there's no better time than right now to get into classical literature. There are perhaps thousands of texts to choose from, including the four canonical novels, the ancient teachings of Confucius, and endless collections of poems.

But the real question is: how do you understand it?

For many people, and especially foreigners and children, the texts themselves are too difficult. And so the majority of newcomers turn to something else: adaptations.

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In recent years, Chinese TV viewers have been treated to a rash of remakes of classic works of Chinese literature. The somewhat basic TV series of the seventies and eighties are now being replaced by fancy new versions with the latest special effects, stars, new directors and realistic action. But the very the familiarity of the old versions of classic tales like Water Margin, Journey to the West, or Dream of a Red Chamber has caused many people to complain bitterly – especially those who grew up watching the older versions in the 1980s and see them as part of their childhood.

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