The term refers to three metaphysical works: Laozi, Zhuangzi, and The Book of Changes. During the Han Dynasty, the study of the Five Classics was the prevailing trend; but during the Wei and Jin dynasties, the way of thinking changed considerably. Scholars turned their attention to Laozi, Zhuangzi, and The Book of Changes. The annotations by such people as He Yan (?-249), Wang Bi (226-249), Xiang Xiu (227?-272), and Guo Xiang (?-312) gave these classics new meanings. The Three Metaphysical Classics were the focus of discourse among leading scholars of the Wei and Jin dynasties, and they were regarded by scholars of metaphysic learning as a source of inspiration when they expressed their philosophical thinking. The study of the Three Metaphysical Classics focused on probing the contradiction between individual life and the outside world. It also fully demonstrated conflict and complementarity between the thinking of Confucian and Daoist scholars.

In the Liang Dynasty, there was a renewed interest in the study of Zhuangzi, Laozi, and The Book of Changes, which were collectively referred to as the Three Metaphysical Classics. (Yan Zhitui: Admonitions for the Yan Clan)