A survey of the whole course of development of Chinese contemporary literature shows that the “17year phase” from 1949 to 1966 when the Cultural Revolution broke out was the most authoritative and most influential age of People’s Literature, the most effective age of its pursuit of a balance between politics and literature, and also the most prosperous age of introducing new writers and establishing literary classics. Since People’s Literature carried very great historical mission, it chose to reflect social life by a realist means of literary writing in a taste of socialist realism. As a result, People’s Literature not only witnessed the 17year course of growth of Chinese contemporary literature, but also practiced its established literary concept and literary pattern, taking the lead of the direction and trend of development of Chinese literature. So its peculiar aesthetic character, and aesthetic influence by artistic persistence remain to be greatly inspiring to us.

People’s Literature; contemporary literature; socialist realism; aesthetic style