1.various sages and ten schools of thought2.refers to the classical schools of thought, e.g. Confucianism 儒[rú] represented by Confucius 孔子[kǒng zǐ] and Mencius 孟子[mèng zǐ], Daoism 道[dào] by Laozi 老子[lǎo zǐ] and Zhuangzi 庄子[zhuāng zǐ], Mohism 墨[mò] by Mozi 墨子[mò zǐ], Legalism 法[fǎ] by Sunzi 孙子[sūn zǐ] and Han Feizi 韩非子[hán fēi zǐ], and numerous others
the three leading poets of the Qianlong-Jiaqing era (1735–1820), who championed personal expression and innovation in Qing poetry: Yuan Mei 袁枚[yuán méi], Jiang Shiquan 蒋士铨[jiǎng shì quán] and Zhao Yi 赵翼[zhào yì]
Four Great Yuan Dramatists, namely: Guan Hanqing 关汉卿[guān hàn qīng], Zheng Guangzu 郑光祖[zhèng guāng zǔ], Ma Zhiyuan 马致远[mǎ zhì yuǎn] and Bai Pu 白朴[bái pǔ]
Four Great Painters of the Six Dynasties, namely: Cao Buxing 曹不兴[cáo bù xīng], Gu Kaizhi 顾恺之[gù kǎi zhī], Lu Tanwei 陆探微[lù tàn wēi] and Zhang Sengyou 张僧繇[zhāng sēng yóu]
1.Four Great Calligraphers of early Tang2.refers to Yu Shinan 虞世南[yú shì nán], Ouyang Xun 欧阳询[ōu yáng xún], Chu Suiliang 褚遂良[chǔ suì liáng] and Xue Ji 薛稷[xuē jì]
the eight giants of Tang and Song prose, esp. involved in the Classics movement 古文运动[gǔ wén yùn dòng], namely: Han Yu 韩愈[hán yù], Liu Zongyuan 柳宗元[liǔ zōng yuán], Ouyang Xiu 欧阳修[ōu yáng xiū], the three Su's 三苏[sān sū], Wang Anshi 王安石[wáng ān shí], Zeng Gong 曾巩[zēng gǒng]