This term refers to the way an author may be motivated to have creative thoughts at the sight of natural objects or other things. The imagery in his work is thus constituted. Xing (兴) here refers to the mental capacity to produce an emotional response to an external object, either because the author feels a certain emotion or interest inspired by the external object, or because the external object has become a vehicle for carrying the author’s existing emotion awakened by the imagery. The former is equivalent to the mental projection effect of the subject onto the object, while the latter is the object calling and guiding the subject into empathic experience. Natural objects, objects in literary and artistic works and indeed all objects are capable of arousing emotion and feelings. In his book The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, Liu Xie (465?-520? or 532?) of the Southern Dynasties used the concept “draw inspiration from external objects” as a summary of the characteristics of the lyrical works of the Han Dynasty in the style of xiaofu (小赋) and as a description of the aesthetic effects and writing requirements of general lyrical works.

As for the plants, birds, beasts and many other things in the fu-style works of the Han Dynasty, they aroused the authors’ interest, and they inspired their emotions.Furthermore, they make the work seek the fusion of emotions and things as these changed. (Liu Xie: The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons)

As to the author Laibin, styled Xiuwen... his poems rarely pick up the rich allusions and rhetoric in the classics, but focus on expressing the inner spirit; thus touch the heart, and generate subtle interest. He has a place in the world of words and is highly appreciated by people of sophisticated taste. This sure is an accomplishment. (Fa Shishan: Biographies of Qing Poets)