Why go
Literary exhibits become more useful when you can tell what kind of text you are seeing. The I Ching and Shujing belong to an early classical tradition; the Four Great Classical Novels tell much longer stories. Hu Shih and Lu Xun help mark a modern move toward vernacular writing.
The full story
Do not expect one continuous style. Early classics such as the I Ching and Shujing were copied, interpreted and quoted across many centuries. Historical writing took other forms: Sima Guang's Zizhi Tongjian organized a vast political past for later readers. A manuscript or printed page may therefore represent both the original work and generations of commentary around it. The Four Great Classical Novels show another scale of storytelling, with extended plots and large casts. In the twentieth century, writers and reformers including Hu Shih and Lu Xun argued for and used more accessible written language. That shift matters when a museum label places a classical text beside modern prose: they were made for different readers and purposes. At a library, literary house or museum, first identify the genre and period. You will get more from a short excerpt than from trying to absorb a long list of titles.
