During the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, a backlash against the elaborate pianwen (parallel prose) style and perceived moral decay paved the way for a classical prose revival. Spearheaded by eight literary giants – Han Yu, Liu Zongyuan, Ouyang Xiu, Su Xun, Su Shi, Su Zhe, Wang Anshi, and Zeng Gong – this movement championed clarity, substance, and moral purpose. Their elegant and powerful writings set new standards for Chinese literature and remain widely studied today.

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