In the aspect of poetry, his poetry theory flaunts Du Fu, emphasizes reading and learning, and takes the old as the new. Therefore, the theories of "one word is inconsistent" and "thoroughly remould oneself, turning the stone into gold" had a great influence in the Song Dynasty and created the Jiangxi Poetry School.
Besides, Huang Tingjian is good at calligraphy and is one of the "Song Sijia". His earnest and sincere attitude towards calligraphy is just like his poems. He not only learned from the ancients, but also absorbed the essence of predecessors from ancient monuments and ancient posts. In particular, he can integrate his own ideas, strive to break through, create his own unique style, and form his own family. His posthumous works include The Valley Collection.
Although his life is very unsatisfactory, he has no complaints and remains loyal, which is the main factor for the success of Valley Calligraphy. This kind of performance can enlighten future generations: to practice calligraphy, we must enrich our knowledge while improving our moral standards. If we only focus on writing skills, we can't be everyone. Because calligraphy is not only an art, but also a comprehensive expression of personal moral articles. The success of a calligrapher lies not only in the sharpening of brushwork, but also in his own morality and articles.
Huang Tingjian is filial by nature. Although he is in a high position, he still serves his mother but tries his best to be filial. Every night, he personally washes the drowning device (toilet) for his mother. According to the figure of twenty-four filial piety, he chose his filial piety.
Huang Tingjian not only teaches the ancients all the time, but also really exercises himself. Su Shi once praised him for his "magnificent writing style, wonderful contemporary life, filial piety to his parents and pursuit of power and profit." (Biography of Song History). Dongpo was demoted again and again, but he always showed good moral integrity and never changed his original intention, which reflected the noble moral standards of ancient China literati.