Work / monument · text

Wen Xuan

c. 530 · 6th century · Also known as Selections of Refined Literature

The Wen Xuan (Selections of Refined Literature) is an anthology of Chinese poetry and prose compiled in the early 6th century under Xiao Tong, crown prince of the Liang dynasty. Its 30 chapters, later divided into 60, gather some 700 works by about 130 writers from the Zhou to the Liang, arranged by genre. It became a standard text for scholars and examination candidates under the Tang and Song.

Wen Xuan
Image: He Zhuo 何焯 (Life time: AD 1661 - 1722) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Liang dynasty

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Wen Xuan. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wen-xuan
MLA
“Wen Xuan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wen-xuan. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Wen Xuan.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wen-xuan.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Wen Xuan’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/wen-xuan (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻