Emperor Qianlong's Literary Aggrandizement in the Eighteenth Century

Abstract Generally disfavored from a modern aesthetic perspective, Emperor Qianlong's poetry was systematically aggrandized in the eighteenth century. Through commentaries on his own work, Qianlong managed to amplify his voice, especially as he adopted textual and evidential research to establish authority over the literary field. Copies of his poems were creatively produced and circulated through various official channels to reach the largest audience. During his reign, Qianlong's writings were elevated to a high position by himself and his officials. However, this elevation was not reflected in the compilation of the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries because the emperor was more concerned about protecting his impartial image as a Han Chinese cultural arbiter.