Xiao Tong

Xiao Tong (501–531), courtesy name Deshi and childhood name Weimo, was a native of Nanlanling (present-day Changzhou, Jiangsu) and the eldest son of Emperor Wu of Liang, Xiao Yan. He was installed as crown prince in the first year of the Tianjian era and was posthumously titled Zhaoming, so he is commonly known as Crown Prince Zhaoming. He gathered many men of letters and presided over the compilation of the Wen Xuan (also known as Zhaoming Wenxuan), the earliest extant anthology of poetry and prose in China. The work selects notable pieces from the pre-Qin period to the Liang dynasty and arranges them by genre, and has long been regarded as a model for the study of classical literature. Xiao Tong was also a writer himself and authored works including the Jindai Shu. His works are generally classed under classics, ancient poetry, and Eastern philosophy, and have exerted a lasting influence.