Wei Hu is known as the compiler of Caidiao ji (Collection of Talents and Tones), and public information about his life is limited: his birth and death years, native place, official career, and nationality are not clearly recorded. In extant sources he is known chiefly through this anthology of poetry. Caidiao ji consists of ten volumes and selects works by Tang dynasty poets, arranged by rhyme. Its scope is broad, covering poets from the early Tang to the late Tang, with a majority from the middle and late Tang and a particular emphasis on refined, melodious pieces that combine feeling and charm. The anthology circulated widely from the Song dynasty onward and is often mentioned alongside general collections such as Wen xuan and Wenyuan yinghua; it is important material for studying the transmission and reception of Tang poetry. Modern editions are mostly based on Song printed copies or Ming and Qing manuscripts, and can be used to examine the compiler's poetic tastes and the diversity of the Tang poetic world.
