Cheng Shu teaches advanced Chinese reading in the International Chinese Language and Culture Center at Tsinghua University in Beijing. She was surprised that many of her students, who were all from other countries, were following the news of Mo's award.

"I know Mo's works are probably too difficult for them, but I still recommended that they read some," Cheng said.

Although Chinese literature is getting more attention around the world, translated versions of Chinese works remain in small supply in the United States and Europe.

Jonathan Chuck, an American who has been working in social media for three years in China, has read some ancient Chinese classics in English and can name several ancient poets such as Li Bai.

Chuck said Chinese literature is hard to come by in the United States because bookstores simply don't carry many English translations. "Besides, China is considered a mysterious country and far away from our daily life."

Chuck said when he was in school, students mostly studied Western literature translated from French, German and Portuguese, not literature translated from Asian languages.

"China's Nobel prize will inspire more Westerners to notice Chinese literature, and I may read some of Mo's works," he added.

Mo Yan speaks at a news conference, at the grand hall of the Swedish Academy in Stockholm, Dec 6, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Li Ling, a professor at Beijing Language and Cultural University, said Chinese literature has less of a market than English literature because Western culture is the dominant culture.

Moreover, it is difficult to fully express some Chinese words in English, which can limit Chinese literature to a Chinese-literate audience, Li added.

In October, literary critic Zhou Limin noted that Western works are easily introduced to China and are favored by many Chinese readers even if they are not translated well.

"Western readers are more picky about what they read," he said, explaining that if a Chinese book is not translated well, it would be "out of the question" to recommend it to Western readers.

Li expects China's Nobel laureate to expand foreign readership.

"Some of my postgraduate students are very diligent in studying contemporary Chinese literature," Li said, adding that it is "not only the ones from Asian countries such as Vietnam and Thailand, but also those from developed countries such as Italy."

The dissertations foreign students hand in convey a deep understanding of Chinese literature, and they are as good as their Chinese counterparts, Li said.

Source: Xinhua/China Daily