CHINOPERL: Journal of Chinese Oral and Performing Literature is a semiannual, peer-reviewed journal founded in 1969 by the Permanent Conference on Chinese Oral and Performing Literature. The journal focuses on literature connected to oral performance, broadly defined as any form of verse or prose that incorporates elements of oral transmission or performance, whether formally on stage or informally in everyday communication. Such “literature” includes genres such as the novel, short story, drama, poetry, proverbs, and folksongs, along with other traditional and contemporary forms of linguistic expression.

The journal publishes Research Articles, Research Notes, Translations, and Book Reviews on topics related to Chinese oral and performing literature. CHINOPERL welcomes research that is historical, descriptive, theoretical, or interdisciplinary in nature, as well as translations accompanied by substantial introductions.

Formerly CHINOPERL Papers, number 6 (1976) through number 31 (2012); CHINOPERL News, number 1 (1969) through number 5 (1975).

Sponsor: CHINOPERL (Chinese Oral and Performing Literature)

Access and Archive

University of Hawai‘i Press journals are available online through institutional subscriptions. Non-subscribers can purchase digital articles and full issues via Project MUSE. For single-issue print purchases, contact [email protected]. Readers are encouraged to recommend this journal to their library using the library recommendation form. Sign up for new issue alerts here.

Journal content is preserved through trusted digital platforms to ensure long-term access to current and back content.

Individual subscriptions to the journal are through society membership. This option includes both print and online subscriptions to the journal. Shipping charges apply to international addresses. An online-only option is available to forgo shipping charges.

Read Online:

Back content starting from 1969

Back content available in 2026

• Recent Articles

• Introduction: Special Issue on Soundscapes of Twentieth-Century China
  Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2025

  That Clarion Call: The Sounds and Meanings of Night Watchmen in China, ca. 1900–1940
  Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2025

  The Stage Moves on Air: The Mediatization of Quyi in Early Twentieth-Century North China
  Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2025

  Revolutionary Resonance: "The East Is Red" from Rural Shaanxi to China's First Satellite
  Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2025

  Dueling and Converging Soundscapes in China and Korea
  Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2025

  Muyu shu Collections in Libraries and Museums in the United States
  Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2025

  In Memory of Susan Blader (1943–2025)
  Posted on Tuesday December 16, 2025

• Pricing Guide

• PAYMENT

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  PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS – GENERAL INFORMATION

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  Bookstores/Classroom Use

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  SUBSCRIPTION AGENTS

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  Please contact customer service at:

  Journals Department, University of Hawai‘i Press, 2840 Kolowalu Street, Honolulu, HI 96822

  Tel. 1-808-956-8833; Fax 1-808-988-6052

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  e-mail: [email protected]

• Author Guidelines

• Author Guidelines

  Submissions: Submissions should be sent to [email protected]. Research articles not exceeding 45 double-spaced pages are preferred. Include an abstract of approximately 500 words and 4–6 keywords. Manuscripts should be double-spaced in Microsoft Word, using Times New Roman 12-point font. Translations should include scanned originals if the source is not readily available. To facilitate blind review, minimize self-references until acceptance.

  Figures and Photos: Illustrations and photos are welcome but will be included only when they add substantial value. Nontext material should be submitted as separate high-resolution JPEG or TIFF files with captions and permissions.

  Detailed submission procedures and style and formatting requirements are maintained by the editors in the CHINOPERL Style Sheet.

  Journal Policies

  Peer Review and Editorial Oversight: Manuscripts are evaluated first by the CHINOPERL editorial team. When considered suitable for the journal, manuscripts are sent to at least two external specialists for double-blind peer review; the manuscript and the identities of the authors and reviewers are kept confidential by the editorial office and others involved in the peer-review process. When a decision has been made, the editor will notify authors via email, and it is common for the editor to request revisions that can help authors improve their manuscript, including revisions based on reviewers’ comments and suggested resources. Final publication decisions rest with the Editor. All content, including articles submitted for special issues, is subject to the same standards of peer review and editorial oversight.

  Permissions: Permission to reuse or republish material from University of Hawai‘i Press journals—including text, figures, tables, or excerpts from the published version—should be requested using the Press’s Reprint Permission Request Form and submitted to [email protected]. Authors are responsible for obtaining permissions for third-party materials included in their manuscripts.

  Copyright and Licensing: Under the Press’s standard publication agreement, authors retain copyright to their work and grant CHINOPERL and the University of Hawai‘i Press a non-exclusive license to publish and distribute the contribution. Authors may share early (pre-print) versions in non-commercial repositories with proper citation. Twelve months after publication, authors may reuse the content of their article in future scholarly work with appropriate citation. Some forms of reuse—such as republication, translation, or commercial use—may require permission.

  Fees: This journal does not charge submission fees or publication fees. Authors may request Open Access publication for a fee; Open Access charges vary by journal. All editorial decisions are made independently of fee status.

  Publication Ethics: All University of Hawai‘i Press journals follow the UHP Publication Ethics Statement based on COPE principles. All submissions may be screened for plagiarism. 

  Disclosures: Authors must disclose all sources of financial support and any use of generative AI tools in manuscript preparation. AI tools may not be listed as authors.

  Advertising: Any advertising is managed separately from editorial decision-making and is clearly distinguished from editorial content.

• Editorial Board

• Editor

  Jing Shen, Eckerd College, USA

  Consulting Editor

  David Rolston, University of Michigan, USA

  Associate Editors

  Catherine C. Swatek, University of British Columbia, Canada

  Vibeke Børdahl, Nordic Institute of Asian Studies, Denmark

  Margaret Wan, University of Utah, USA

  Editorial Board

  Mark Bender, The Ohio State University, USA

  Susan Blader, Dartmouth College, USA

  Claire Conceison, Duke University, USA

  Andrea Goldman, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

  GUO Yingde, Beijing Normal University, China

  HAI Zhen, National Academy of Theatre Arts, Beijing, China

  Robert E Hegel, Washington University, St Louis, USA

  Hua Wei, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong

  Wilt L Idema, Harvard University, USA

  David Johnson, University of California, Berkeley, USA

  Rainier Lanselle, École Pratique des Hautes Études, France

  Kathryn Lowry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong

  Colin Mackerras, Griffith University, Australia

  Victor H. Mair, University of Pennsylvania, USA

  Lindy Li Mark, California State University, East Bay, USA

  Anne E. McLaren, University of Melbourne, Australia

  Helen Rees, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

  Sue M. C. Tuohy, Indiana University, USA

  C.K. Wang, National Tsing-Hua University, Taiwan

  Elizabeth Wichmann-Walzcak, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, USA

  Bell Yung, University of Pittsburgh, USA

  Judith T. Zeitlin, University of Chicago, USA

  Contact

  General queries for CHINOPERL (journal and society)
  [email protected]

  Publisher
  University of Hawai‘i Press
  2840 Kolowalu St.
  Honolulu, HI 96822 USA
  [email protected]

• Indexes

• Articles appearing in CHINOPERL: Journal of Chinese Oral and Performing Literature are indexed and/or abstracted in:

  Association for Asian Studies-
  Bibliography of Asian Studies (Online)

  Elsevier BV-
  Scopus

  Modern Language Association-
  MLA International Bibliography

  ProQuest-
  RILM Abstracts of Music Literature (Repertoire International de Litterature Musicale)