Abstract: A relatively independent type of ancient Chinese prose, jiazhuan was biographies written anthropomorphically for objects. Han Yu's Biography of Mao Ying written in the Tang dynasty marked the beginning of jiazhuan, followed by numerous parodies in the Song and Ming dynasties. Such prose, written by the literati at leisure for entertainment, embodied their refined aesthetic taste. This article argues that jiazhuan was an expression in the form of games, which displayed writers' talent. Thus perceived, just like "writing is for conveying truth", "using literature as play" became an important and necessary literary stance for the literati to divert themselves from loneliness or boredom at their leisure time.

Key words: Jiazhuan, using literature as play, talent-displaying writing, Biography of Mao Ying