Wenqi (文气) is the personality an author demonstrates in his works, and is a fusion

of his innate temperament and the vitality seen in his works. Originally, qi (气)

referred to the basic element in the initial birth and formation of all things, as well as

heaven and earth. In literary criticism, it refers to an author's distinctive individuality

and its manifestation in his writings. Humans are believed to develop different

characters and traits endowed by the qi of heaven and earth. Reflected in literary

creation, such different characters and traits naturally find expression in distinctive

styles and varying degrees of vigor as well as rhythm and cadence.