In this article special emphasis is laid on the poetic
connotations of the Chinese word qing (清, meaning “clear”, “quiet”,
etc.), and an analysis is made of its special place, its establishment and development in the Chinese poetry. In the view of the author, qing is both a component concept, related to the essence and creation of poetry, and an
aesthetic concept, related to the style and appreciation of poetry. It embodies in a concentrated way the temperament, interest, taste and aesthetic tendency of Chinese men of letters in ancient times, and links with, in a sense, the ultimate aesthetic ideal of classic art. In the process of its formation and development, qing absorbed aesthetic spirit of different times and was endowed with basic
connotations from long years of historical sediment, with both positive and negative aspects. In the history of poetry qing is an open aesthetic concept with a wide range of meaning and strong derivative ability. Further probing and study of the development and connotations of this concept is an important subject in the research of classic poetry.