The Chinese Department of Xiamen University was founded in 192 1, where famous writers and scholars such as Lu Xun, Lin Yutang, Shen Jianshi, Gu Jiegang, Zhang Xing _, Chen Hong, Shi Zhecun, Sun Fuyuan, Zhou Jianming, Luo Changpei and Yu Yu taught. Famous scholars such as Chen Yan, Yang Shuda, Li Li, Mao Chang, Yu Jian, Zhou Jianming and Sister Liu have successively served as the heads of the Chinese Department.

There are 56 in-service teachers (professor 13, associate professor 27, assistant professor 16) and doctoral supervisor 13. Professor Dai Xun, the current director, Associate Professor Li Yan and Associate Professor Wang Xiaohong, the deputy director. The Chinese Department has nine teaching and research sections: literary theory, ancient literature, modern and contemporary literature, modern Chinese, ancient Chinese, drama and drama, art, world literature and comparative literature, linguistics and applied linguistics. The Chinese Department implements an integrated management system of departments, institutes and centers, and consists of China Institute of Language and Literature, Institute of Ancient Books Arrangement, Research Center of Drama, Film and Television Art, Research Center of Chinese Literature in Southeast Asia, Research Center of Application and Promotion of Chinese Language and Characters, Research Center of New Media Animation, and National Center of Language Resources Monitoring and Research Education Textbooks. Lu Xun Memorial Hall, managed by Chinese Department, is one of the five largest Lu Xun memorial halls (museums) in China.

The Chinese Department has two first-class doctoral programs, namely, the first-class doctoral program in China language and literature and the first-class doctoral program in drama, drama, film and television, covering nine doctoral programs in two disciplines. There are 8 doctoral programs in China's first-class discipline of language and literature authorized by doctors of two disciplines, namely, China ancient literature, China classical philology, China modern and contemporary literature, comparative literature and world literature, literature and art, China minority language and literature, Chinese philology, linguistics and applied linguistics. The first-level discipline of drama, drama and film and television has four research directions: comparative drama, film and television art, new media art theory and drama history of China, and the first-level discipline of art theory has another master's degree.

The Chinese Department has three undergraduate majors: Chinese language and literature, Chinese language, drama and film and television literature.