The classical style of Chinese writing known as guwen (classical prose) which was promoted by Han Yu (768-824) revived the literary style in decline during the previous eight dynasties (Eastern Han, Wei, Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, Chen, and Sui); and Confucianism he promoted lifted the people out of mental plight caused by their blind faith in Buddhism and Daoism. This is the conclusion made by Su Shi (1037-1101) of the Han Yu-led movement to return to classical prose as well as his affirmation of literary principles such as “writing aims to express ideas and reflect real life,” and “writing is the vehicle of ideas.” While speaking highly of Han Yu’s emphasis on Confucianism, Su Shi also stressed literature’s importance in governance of the country and society. It is a rebuttal of the formal and excessively rhetorical literary style that had prevailed since the Wei and Jin dynasties, which focused on rhetoric, couplets, rhyme, and allusion and was devoid of ideas. Han Yu sought to both reform the literary style and revive Confucianism; he also advocated the creation of literary works that were rich in content and free in form. According to Su Shi, Han Yu corrected the formalistic literary style of the eight dynasties but did not totally deny the beauty of style. He tried to lift people out of mental plight with Confucianism but did not completely reject Buddhism and Daoism. Su Shi sought to strike a balance between the style and content of writing, believing that form should be conducive to the expression of ideas, and that content should deliver a positive message and delight readers.

The classical style of writing known as guwen advocated by Han Yu revived the literary style in decline during the eight dynasties; and Confucianism he promoted lifted the people out of their mental plight caused by their blind faith in Buddhism and Daoism. He gave candid advice to the emperor without fearing of angering him. He courageously broke into the camp of the rebel army alone, winning the respect of the commander-in-chief. (Su Shi: Eulogy for the Temple of Han Yu in Chaozhou)

Han Yu’s writings summarize the tenets of the Six Classics (The Book of Songs, The Book of History, The Book of Rites, The Book of Changes, The Book of Music, and The Spring and Autumn Annals) and revitalize the declining literary style of the eight dynasties. But Han Yu called his own writing style “weird and strange.”The poems of Du Fu, however, contain nothing that is unusual or novel in both content and form. (Weng Fanggang: Notes on Du Fu’s Poems)

Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, writings that were excessive in rhetorical style were the trend until the Tang Dynasty when Han Yu revived the literary style in decline during the previous eight dynasties. Scholars have since regarded as guwen those writings of the height of the pre-Qin period and the Western and Eastern Han dynasties that focused on issues, discerned reason, and were simple in style and substantive in content, which largely belong to the Six Classics of Confucianism, The Analects and Mencius. (Fang Bao: Introduction to Selected Chinese Classical Texts)