Chuanqi is a classical Chinese

Classical Chinese

Classical Chinese or Literary Chinese is a traditional style of written Chinese based on the grammar and vocabulary of ancient Chinese, making it different from any modern spoken form of Chinese...

 literary form of the Tang

Tang Dynasty

The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...

 and Song

Song Dynasty

The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...

 dynasties, consisting of short stories involving mystical, fantastical or legendary elements. It is distinct from the dramatic form of chuanqi, but is written with the same characters. An example of a chuanqi is The Governor of Nanke

The Governor of Nanke

The Governor of Nanke is a Tang dynasty Chinese chuanqi by Li Gongzuo, set in the year 794...

, where a man lives a whole generation in one afternoon as an ant.