Han Yu is chief among the eight major writers of the Tang and Song dynasties. His writings are rich in content, powerful, fresh, and lively. The 40-<em>juan</em> (section) <em>Collected Works of Han Yu</em> (Changli xiansheng ji [Collected works of the Master from Changli]) was compiled by his disciple Li Han, and is the most comprehensive compendium of Han Yu’s works. The “Outer Collection” and “Omitted Writings” were added by Song dynasty scholars who recovered lost works by Han. This edition was printed in the Jianchun era (late 13th century) of the Southern Song by Liao Yingzhong and the Shicaitang Academy. The cutting of the woodblocks is of the highest quality. The paper is lustrous, the ink glossy, and the calligraphic style reminiscent of the Tang masters Zhu Suiliang and Liu Gongquan. Along with a similar edition of the works of the Tang master Liu Zongyuan, bibliophiles have always considered this work to be the ultimate prize to pass down through the generations. This copy has passed in a well-documented descent through the collections of Xiang Yuanbian, Wang Shizhong, the Haiyuan Library of Mr. Yang, and the collections of Chen Chengzhong and other famous book collectors. It is now in the National Library of China.
<br>Block printing; Song dynasty, 960-1279
Han, Yu, 768-824
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