China is not a monolith but a constantly changing self-definition through history. “Great nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts, the book of their deeds, the book of their words and the book of their art. Not one of these books can be understood unless we read the two others, but of the three the only trustworthy one is the last”. (John Ruskin) When studying the key Chinese film and literary texts, we become familiar with the popular narratives used to construct and reinvent China as a modern nation.