Since the end of World War II, the study of classical Chinese literature in the United States has developed rapidly. The normalization of diplomatic relations between China and the United States and China's Reform and Opening-up policy propelled this field towards unprecedented prosperity. Since the mid-1980s, many mainland scholars have studied in the United States, which has greatly changed the background composition of scholars and students in this field. Since the 1990s, American academic institutions have gradually established online accesses to Chinese textual resources, which has made it possible for Chinese and American scholars to exchange their academic achievements in a more timely fashion. After a brief survey of the general state of the study of classical Chinese literature in the United States, this paper discusses the following basic characteristics of the field: First, American scholarship on Chinese literature puts emphasis on the translation of Chinese literary texts and considers it an integral part of literary research. Second, most Chinese literature scholars in the US have received training in English and American literature, comparative literature and Western critical theories, which enables them to study Chinese literature with interdisciplinary approaches and in dialogue with scholars on Western literatures. Third, scholars in the US tend to concentrate on studies of individual Chinese writers, works and genres. Most of their research is not conducted in the form of literary history. Fourth, the study of Chinese women's literature has become a popular trend and a fruitful subfield in the past two or three decades. Fifth, the study of Chinese literature in the US focuses on the interconnection between literature and religion, social history and cultural history, situating literature scholarship in a broad context of social environments. With the increasing exchange of information and personnel between China and the United States, Chinese literary studies in both countries are becoming more and more integrated. The differences are increasingly in individual approaches only. Finally, this paper envisions possible future developments of Chinese literary studies in the US. First, more American scholars will publish in Chinese so as to reach a larger audience and communicate with their Chinese counterparts more directly; for the same purpose, a larger number of studies originally published in English will be translated into Chinese. Second, the research field of classical Chinese literature will be further expanded. Third, the number of American students who are interested in modern Chinese literature, films and popular culture is likely to increase dramatically, while the number of those interested in classical Chinese literature might decrease. Fourth, Chinese officials and individuals will be more proactive in seeking to introduce Chinese literature and other cultural products to the US and the Western world at large. Fifth, the Unite States will be increasingly concerned with China's social developments. Finally, the augmented accessibility to Chinese information resources will not only facilitate American scholars' work but also, quite ironically, make sifting and screening of the materials a more difficult process.