Chinese History and Literature: New Ways to Examine China's Past collects important studies on Chinese history and literature studies conducted by the academics at East China Normal University (ECNU) in recent years. The book covers topics including the study of Chinese Economic History, "Jiangnan Identity" in Chinese history and literature, a new study on the cause of the great proscription, the artistic presentation of a tragic character, among others.

This book is the second volume in the WSPC-ECNU Series on China. The WSPC-ECNU Series showcases the significant contributions to scholarship in social sciences and humanities studies about China. The Series is jointly launched by World Scientific Publishing, the most reputable English academic publisher in Asia, and ECNU, a top University in China with a long history of exchanges with the international academic community.