The fu form continued to develop through the Tang dynasty (618–906 AD), where it found an exponent in the poet Li Bai, although he is less known in modern translation for this than for his shi and yuefu poetry.

The term "fu", when applied to Chinese literature, first appears in the Zhou dynasty (during the time period also known as the "Warring States"), where it meant "to present", as in poetic recitations.

[1] The term "fu", when not applied to Chinese literature, appears earlier than this with the meaning of "tribute", in the sense of a military contribution of goods or services.

[1] Han dynasty historian Ban Gu in the "Monograph on Arts and Letters" defined fu as "to recite without singing".

Where thirty cubits high at harvest time The corn is stacked; Where pies are cooked of millet and bearded maize.

And flesh of whelps floating in liver sauce With salad of minced radishes in brine; All served with that hot spice of southernwood The land of Wu supplies.

[6] The Chu Ci is an anthology of Chinese poetry traditionally attributed mainly to Qu Yuan and Song Yu from the Warring States period (ended 221 BC), though about half of the poems seem to have been composed several centuries later, during the Han dynasty.

On his way into exile, and upon crossing the Xiang River, Jia Yi wrote a fu named "Lament for Qu Yuan".

Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne in 141 BC, and his long reign is considered the golden age of "grand fu" (Chinese: 大賦; pinyin: dàfù).

[14] In "Seven Stimuli", Mei Sheng acts as a Warring States-style traveling orator who tries to cure a Chu prince of an illness caused by overindulgence in sensual pleasures by pushing his senses to their limits with his fu descriptions.

[8] A native of Chengdu, he was traditionally said to have been summoned to the imperial court after Emperor Wu happened to personally read his "Fu of Sir Vacuous" (Chinese: 子虛賦; pinyin: Zǐxū fù), though this is almost certainly a story added later.

[8] The grand fu of the Western Han dynasty were read and recited as celebrations of pure poetic delight, and were the first pieces of Chinese literature to fuse unrestrained entertainment and moral admonitions in single works.

[16] But after the reign of Emperor Wu, his court culture began to be criticized as having placed undue emphasis on the grandiose language in fu and thereby having missed opportunities to encourage moral restraint.

Two of the most famous fu writers of the Eastern Han period were the great polymaths Zhang Heng and Cai Yong.

[20] Zhang's fu is highly satirical, mocking many aspects of the Western Han period, including Emperor Wu.

[21] The piece contains long passages describing life in the two capitals in great detail, including the entertainment areas.

[23] In AD 159, Cai was summoned to Chang'an to perform on the Chinese zither for the imperial court, but became ill shortly before arriving and returned to his home.

[23] In "Fu on Recounting a Journey", Cai cites examples of treacherous and dishonest rulers and officials from Chinese history, then criticizes the eunuchs of the capital for similar crimes.

Wang Can, who lived as a refugee in Chu after Dong Zhuo was assassinated in AD 192, wrote a famous fu titled "Fu on Climbing the Tower" (Chinese: 登樓賦; pinyin: Dènglóu fù), in which he describes climbing a tower near Jingzhou and gazing longingly in the direction of his home in Luoyang.

[24] Poets often used subjects of descriptive fu poems to symbolize themselves, as in "Fu on the Parrot" (Chinese: 鸚鵡賦; pinyin: Yīngwǔ fù), by Mi Heng, in which Mi uses a caged parrot as a metaphor for a scholar whose talents go unrecognized and whose inability to control his tongue results in his captivity.

[26] Pan Yue, the most famous writer of the period, wrote "Fu on my Tiny House" (Chinese: 狹室賦; pinyin: Xiá shì fù), which describes his life enduring heat and rainstorms in a small cottage, though he actually lived in a large mansion.

[26] Poet Shu Xi (Chinese: 束皙; AD 263–302), one of the most famous scholars of the Western Jin, wrote five fu that have survived to the present, and seem to be written in a playful style.

[27] In AD 317, the Western Jin was conquered by a confederation of Xiongnu and Xianbei (Särbi) states, forcing huge numbers of Han Chinese aristocrats and landowners to flee to southern China.

[28] Guo Pu, who was famed for his skills in writing and divination, is considered the foremost writer of the Eastern Jin period.

[28] Guo's "Fu on the Yangzi River" (Chinese: 江賦; pinyin: Jiāng fù), written around 317, brought him wide renown.

[28] Like early Han fu, the poem displays Guo's broad knowledge and familiarity with rare, obscure vocabulary and ancient legends.

[35] Soon after the south's fall, Emperor Wen of Sui ordered its capital, Jiankang, razed to the ground: all buildings in the city and its walls were completely demolished, and the land turned into fields.

[35] Many notable writers were forced back to the north, and much of the writing of the early Sui dynasty is in the form of stories of survival.

[41] By the 9th and 10th centuries, traditional fu had become mainly historical pursuits, and were largely read and copied because of their inclusion on the imperial examinations.