Yiqing Liu
世說新語
"世說新語" by Yiqing Liu is a historical compilation compiled during the Liu Song dynasty (420–479). This collection preserves around 1,130 anecdotes and character sketches about 600 literati, musicians, and painters from the 2nd-4th centuries. Organized into thirty-six categories ranging from "Virtuous Conduct" to "Hostility and Alienation," the work captures both biographical details and colloquial language of the period. Its blend of literary and vernacular styles influenced later Chinese informal literature, earning praise from modern writers like Lu Xun for its aesthetic merits.