Yan 'an Forum on Literature and Art is an important part of Yan 'an Rectification Movement. Its purpose is to solve the theoretical and practical problems encountered in the development of proletarian literature and art in China, such as the relationship between the Party's literature and art work and all the Party's work, who is literature and art, the popularization and improvement, the unity of content and form, praise and exposure, and so on. The speech analyzed the above problems one by one, put forward and solved a series of fundamental theoretical and policy problems, clearly put forward the principle that literature and art should serve the workers, peasants and soldiers, and emphasized that literary and art workers must go among the masses, be familiar with the workers, peasants and soldiers, change their foothold and make positive contributions to the revolutionary cause. The speech summed up the historical experience of China's revolutionary literature movement after the May 4th Movement and developed Marxism–Leninism's literary theory.
The publication of "Speech at Yan 'an Forum on Literature and Art" marks the beginning of a new period of literature and art combining new literature with the masses of workers, peasants and soldiers. Under the guidance of Mao Zedong's literary thought, many writers have made new achievements in shaping the image of workers, peasants and soldiers and reflecting the great revolutionary struggle, and made great breakthroughs in the nationalization and popularization of literature. There are Zhao Shuli's Marriage of Little Erhei, Half Flowers, Ding Ling's The Sun Shines on the Sanggan River, The Tempest, Li Ji's Wang Gui and, He Jingzhi's White-haired Girl, Ruan's Zhang River Water and Sun Li's Lotus Lake. In the Kuomintang-controlled areas, the progressive literary and art circles under the leadership of the Party United writers and played an important role in the struggle. The poetry creation of Ai Qing, Tian Tian and July Poets, the novel creation of Mao Dun, Ba Jin, Lao She, Sha Ting, Ai Wu and Lu Ling, and the drama creation of Cao Yu, Xia Yan, Chen, Song Zhi and Wu Zuguang have reached a new level in the depth, breadth and diversity of reflecting reality.