Abstract: MAO Dun's classical realism is among the precious spiritual wealth he left, yet its importance and far-reaching significance hasn't been fully appreciated. It is high time to rediscover its value and reinterpret his classical realism in the context of the contemporary creations, because the literary tradition we inherited from MAO Dun, especially his focuses on the reality and the present and his involvement in and reflection of the contemporary world, have rendered a great reference and enlightenment in our efforts to reconstruct the current value and describe the contemporary life. In his literature creation, MAO Dun displayed four qualities of his realist classic ideas of modernity, sociality, politics and epic. In theory, he advocated realism, but were not confined to it. Instead, he encouraged diversified writing methods and techniques, which still finds its resonance today. Realism is in great need in today's China to reflect life in literature truly and actively. In this regard, MAO Dun's keen insight has a distinct and prominent significance to the contemporary literature.

Key words: studies on MAO Dun, realism, literature classics