LIU TSUNG-YAN

born 773, Tung-kuan', Shansi Province, China died 819, Liu-chou, Kwangsi Province Pinyin Liu Zongyuan Chinese poet, prose writer, and supporter of his contemporary, the poet and essayist Han Y, in the movement to liberate writers from the highly formalized p'ien-wen, the parallel prose style cultivated by the Chinese literati for nearly 1,000 years. A talented writer from his youth, Liu Tsung-yan served as a government official for most of his life, acting with integrity and courage, despite his politically motivated exile to minor positions in isolated regions of China. Liu joined Han Y in condemning the artificialities and restrictions of the p'ien-wen style and in urging a return to the simplicity and flexibility of the classical prose style of ancient times. In pursuit of this goal, Liu Tsung-yan produced many examples of clear and charming prose.