Chu Ci, also known as "Chu Ci", is a new poetic genre created by Qu Yuan, a poet of Chu State in the Warring States Period. Qu Yuan's lyric poem Li Sao has a romantic style and is a masterpiece of Chu Ci, so Chu Ci is also called "Sao Style".
Chuci or works imitating the style of Chuci are called "Chuci Style" or "Sao Style". The name of "Chuci" first appeared in the period of Emperor Wu of the Western Han Dynasty, when "Chuci" had become a literary genre. "Chuci" refers to poems and fu created with Chuci, Chuyu and Chutoponyms.
Furthermore, the direct source of Chu Ci should be Chu folk songs represented by Nine Songs. Nine Songs was originally a witch song at the time of sacrifice, which was preserved after being processed by Qu Yuan, and other works, such as Li Sao, were also developed on this basis. Because of the relationship between Chu Ci and Han Fu, Qu Yuan's works are also called "Qu Fu".
Chuci is originally Chuci. During the Warring States Period, Qu Yuan of Chu absorbed his nutrition and created great works such as Li Sao, which was imitated by later generations and became a unique literary work, commonly known as Songs of the South. In the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Xiang compiled the Collection of Songs of the South, and in the Eastern Han Dynasty, Wang Yi gained something and added it to the chapters of Songs of the South.
Songs of Chu, whose original meaning refers to songs of Chu, are gradually fixed into two meanings: one is the genre of poetry, and the other is the name of poetry collection. The writing techniques of Chu Ci are romantic, passionate and imaginative, with strong local characteristics and mythical colors of Chu State.