Say, where's the chapter on the history of Chinese Literature before the mid to late Twentieth Century??

WHAT history?

There never was, and still often is no FREEDOM of speech in China. Not without invoking the wrath of bloodthirsty government funded Maoists anyway.

Truth is, you wrote about mysticism, spirituality, freedom of expression or speech and press, and religion ANYwhere in China anytime before the year 2000, chances are your own countries GOVERNMENT would in all reality COME AFTER YOU and make great efforts to silence you, maybe even kill you if you say ANYthing contrary to the government.

In a country like China, writing is a democratic luxury most Chinese COULDN'T AFFORD TO FEEL THE UNADULTERATED JOY of expressing oneself with words until only just in the last few years.