刘振智

Ouyang Xun (557-641), courtesy name Mengshi, originally styled Zhen, and posthumously honored as Ouyang, was a native of Yingzhou Changshui (modern Yangling, Shaanxi). In the Sui Dynasty, he served as a high-ranking official and played a crucial role in organizing the imperial libraries. After entering the Tang Dynasty, he became the first to serve as Libationer Director of the Hanlin Academy and Director of the Bureau of Historiography, presiding over the compilation of the "New History of the Sui" and the "History of the Former Jin," establishing the standard for official histories. He advocated for a return to Han and Wei simplicity in literary criticism, opposing the ornate style of the Liang and Chen dynasties, and authored "The Classic of Literary Criticism," which laid the theoretical foundation for subsequent literary theory. In addition to historical works, he wrote "Jianzhi Sheng" and other collections. His influence extended to later scholars like Du Fu, who admired his straightforward style, and he is widely regarded as a pivotal figure in the transition of classical Chinese literary criticism from the Six Dynasties to the Tang.