Liu Qi — little is known about his life: his dates of birth and death, nationality, and other biographical details remain unknown, and publicly available information is limited, so his writing can only be understood through the works collected here. Two works are attributed to him, Guiqian zhi and Guiqian zhi · Lejiao siyu, which are commonly classified under Eastern philosophy. Judging from the titles and the classification, his writing seems to lean toward notes and miscellanies, combining records of things seen and heard with personal reflections, conveying observations on worldly affairs and human life through plain narration. The character qian ("hidden" or "reclusive") in the title Guiqian zhi may suggest a theme of withdrawal and inward reflection, in keeping with the emphasis on self-cultivation and self-examination in Eastern philosophy. Overall, the surviving material on Liu Qi is scarce and his output limited; his value lies chiefly in the observations and reflections offered by the texts themselves, while details of his life and associations await further discovery.
