Liu Zongyuan's Academic Research And Prose Creation

Liu Zongyuan is prolific in academic research and prose creation, to the latter of which the average researchers give sharp attention. In two parts which will be developed into seven chapters, the present paper addresses itself to Liu's academic research and his artistic achievements on prose creation. The first part, examining the relationship between Liu and the academic background of his age, goes into details about his acceptance and innovation in the trend of thought during Mid-Tang Dynasty, and his exceptional performance in revival of Confucianism and acient Chinese movement, gives prominence to his academic thinking of being centered on affairs of men and practical-minded in pursuing truth, summarizes his academic practice in the study of classics, historiography and textology, and finally analyzes the effect of his academic thinking on his prose creation from the angles of ideological, practical and logical values. With the main idea of Liu's achievements on prose creation, the second part discusses much of his practice in his literary theory of "making a comprehensive study"and attaches great importance to the inheritance and innovation in his prose to the "gusto"in Guoyu and the "vigor"in The Biography of Guliang. His significant contribution to the development of Chinese prose is eventually unearthed upon the analysis on his biographies, allegories and traditional travel notes.