The Eight Great Masters of Tang and Song Prose

Author: Han Yu et al.
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: ▼Complete Content ▼Sandalwood Aroma ▼Compact and Lightweight ▼Original Illustrations ▼Portable
The Tang and Song Eight Masters refer to eight renowned prose writers from the Tang and Northern Song dynasties, namely Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Wang Anshi, and Zeng Gong. The Ming Dynasty prose writer Mao Kun compiled the Collected Prose of the Tang and Song Eight Masters, and since then, the name "Tang and Song Eight Masters" has become widely known. Their works became the,, and of later prose creation.
—Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan were the leaders of the Tang Dynasty's classical prose movement, while Ouyang Xiu was the leader of the Northern Song Dynasty's classical prose movement. The five others, including the three Su brothers, were core figures of the Northern Song classical prose movement. They successively launched waves of classical prose reforms, overturning the old face of ancient prose history and refreshing its development.
—During the Zhenyuan and Yuhe periods of the Tang Dynasty, Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan rose to prominence, reviving the classical prose movement and bringing Tang Dynasty prose to its peak. At that time, classical prose writers flourished, creating a situation where "every word on the tip of a poet's tongue became pearls and jade."