Abstract: Old Goethe's idea of "World-literature" was brought out at the background of the communication among different European national literature and old Goethe's reception of Chinese literature. The development of the idea "World-literature" has undergone a practical process of communication, translation and imitation, in the meantime Chinese literature played a significant role. The importance of Chinese literature to World-literature lies in the "general humanity", which Chinese literature shares with western literature, at the same time it finds the echo with Goethe's later style.