Abstract: In the modern turn of the late Qing and the early Republic period’s Chinese society,literary audience,especially readers’ group made two major shifts of direction——one is the polarization of literati readers,and the other is the expansion of urban readers.These shifts enabled or to say led to the germination of unprecedented reader’s imaginations and selections,and in turn,indirectly or directly influenced the appeal and direction of Late Qing and early Republic period’s literary development. Traces of the influence of readers’ shifts,imaginations and selections on late Qing and early Republic period’s literary atmosphere,production and even system and development could also be found in the advocation of Literary Reformation and the rise of Popular Fiction.

Key words: late Qing and early Republic period;readers’shifts;readers&rsquo, imaginations;readers&rsquo, selections