The Chinese translation of Arabic literature started from the nineteenth century. The Poem Qasidat Al-Burdah (by Imam al-Busiri ) was the first Arabic literary work translated into Chinese (Ma Fuchu, 1866). Like Mr. Ma, Muslim scholars who had Arabic language skills were the pioneers who translated many Islamic canon works, such as the Holy Quran that had been translated into Chinese several times. Before 1949 when the People’s Republic of China was established, the general Chinese readers’ exposure to Arabic literature was limited only to fragments of stories from Alf Lailah wa Lailah (One Thousand and One Nights). This situation started to change after a few Arabic Language Departments were established to train Chinese Han scholars with Arabic language skills after 1949. The first flourishing of Arabic literature translation into the Chinese language came in the 1980s when the launch of the Reform and Opening-up Policy allowed more Chinese scholars to study in the Arab countries and had more direct contacts with Arab literary scholars. So far, about two hundred pieces of Arabic modern literature have been translated into Chinese, such as the seminal works of Gibran Khalil Gibran, Nagib Mahfuz, and Adonis. They have become widely known in China and enjoyed a large group of readership. On the research front, two or three generations of scholars have studied Arabic literature in depth. In 1987, the Chinese Association of Arabic Literature was established and has been sponsoring academic activities regularly since then. As a result, Chinese and Arab scholars frequently exchange visits and ideas with each other. Despite the unprecedented development, Chinese scholars still face some challenges in their translations and research on Arabic literature. The quality of the Chinese translation needs further improvement. In addition, except for the masterpieces of Arabic literature, most of the works written by contemporary Arab literalists are still little known to the general Chinese public. Furthermore, the issues of copy right and market profits inevitably constrain the spread of Arabic literature in China.