Guwen Guanzhi (Collected Ancient Prose) includes 222 pieces of prose and Pianwen (rhyming prose characterized by parallelism and ornateness). The collection, comprised of 12 volumes, was compiled by Wu Chucai and Wu Diaohou and proofread by Wu Xingzuo in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Wu Xingzuo was born in Shanyin of Zhejiang Province, and once served as the satrap of Guangxi and Guangdong provinces. He wrote many books in his lifetime. Wu Chucai was his son, and Wu Diaohou was his grand grandson.

Collected Ancient Prose includes works from the Qin Dynasty (221-206BC) to the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) and divides the 1,800-plus years into seven periods. Every piece was given a brief comment in order to help readers have a better understanding. Most of the selections in the anthology were classic pieces. That's why it has been popular throughout the past four centuries. 

Collected Ancient Prose was a reading of the feudal society. In terms of overall material selection, it did not include the works of the various schools of thought during the period from pre-Qin times to the early years of the Han Dynasty (206BC-220AD) into the pre-Qin articles, History of the [Former] Han Dynasty into the articles of the Han Dynasty, and left the Liao, Yuan and Jin dynasties in blank, so it could not reflect the panoramic view of the development history of prose in China.