Classics of Chinese Culture: The Four Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties

Author: Li Jianlong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-09-01
Features: The Tang and Song prose period was a significant transitional and highly effective era in the history of Chinese prose development, serving as a bridge between the past and the future. Before this period, during the pre-Qin and Han dynasties, whether it was narrative prose or argumentative prose, it laid a solid foundation for the later development of prose in terms of its substance and the high level of linguistic artistry. In the history of Chinese literature, prose is considered a literary genre that rivals poetry. The Tang and Song prose represents another peak in the development of ancient Chinese prose, following the pre-Qin and Han dynasties. In the early Ming Dynasty, Zhu Zuo compiled the "Collected Works of the Eight Masters," selecting the writings of Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Wang Anshi, and Zeng Gong. However, this collection has long been lost. In the mid-Ming Dynasty, Qian Qian the "Collected Prose of the Eight Masters of the Tang and Song," which gave rise to the concept of the "Eight Masters of the Tang and Song." Through the efforts of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan, the reform of prose finally gained tremendous momentum, replacing parallel prose with prose and dominating the literary scene. Han Yu was also praised by Su Shi as "arousing the decline of the eight generations and saving the drowning world with his way and literature." The prose of the two Song dynasties developed along the lines of Tang prose, but whether in terms of the lineup of prose writers, the emergence of great masters, or the diversity and individuality of stylistic features, Song prose surpassed Tang prose.