Book of Qi

The format of the text is similar to previous standard histories, with volumes that include annals, treatises, and biographies.

Volume 52 Biographies of Men of Letters includes an analysis of literary style.

Xiao Zixian was a well known poet and his description in this volume is considered a valuable source of historic literary criticism.

In Volume 54 he described a debate between Taoist Gu Huan 顧歡 (c. 425–488) and Buddhist Yuan Can 袁粲 (420–477).

[3] Tian contains a partial translation of Volume 52 'Biographies of Men of Letters'.