According to Martin Kern, he is the best-documented among the Qin "erudites" (boshi 博士, ritual and canonical specialists).
23, "Book on Rituals") states: "Shusun Tong roughly made some additions and subtractions, [but] for the most part in everything he imitated the old [practices] of Qin."
[2] Shusun Tong was a native of Xue (zh:薛国), only about 30 km from the birthplace of Liu Bang, which made him well acquainted with the Chu musical tradition and thus allowed to accommodate the Qin ritual to the Han imperial taste.
[3] His biography serves as an argument against the traditional stereotype about the suppression of classical knowledge under the Qin: he did not just survive, but brought to the Han court his followers, more than 100 disciples (從儒生弟子百餘人).
While Sima Qian praised Shusun for adapting according to circumstances and being able to keep the big picture in mind, Sima Guang criticized Shusun's organization of Han court rituals as self-promotion, resulting in the loss of ancient rites.