Youmo and the Chinese sense of humour

Was there no humour or general concept of humour in China before 1923? That was when the Chinese writer, translator and inventor Lin Yutang 林語堂 (1895–1976) claimed that “orthodox Chinese literature did not allow for humorous expression, so the Chinese people did not understand the nature of humor and its function”.1 While youmo 幽 默 is now standard usage in everyday Chinese, having replaced other earlier neologisms, what has happened to the faculty of “humorous expression” and its social functions since then? Did they emerge under Lin’s care and did they survive subsequent massive social changes intact, or were they suppressed or changed beyond recognition