Classical Prose Movement

The Classical Prose Movement (Chinese 古文運動 pinyin guwen yundong) of the late Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty in China advocated clarity and precision rather than the florid piantiwen (駢體文) or parallel prose style that had been popular since the Han dynasty. Parallel prose had a rigid structure and came to be criticized for being overly ornate at the expense of content. The aim of the guwen stylists was to follow the spirit of pre-Han prose rather than to imitate it directly. They used elements of colloquial language to make their writings more direct.

Classical Prose Movement

The Classical Prose Movement (Chinese 古文運動 pinyin guwen yundong) of the late Tang dynasty and the Song dynasty in China advocated clarity and precision rather than the florid piantiwen (駢體文) or parallel prose style that had been popular since the Han dynasty. Parallel prose had a rigid structure and came to be criticized for being overly ornate at the expense of content. The aim of the guwen stylists was to follow the spirit of pre-Han prose rather than to imitate it directly. They used elements of colloquial language to make their writings more direct.