Large numbers of the literati wrote for the form and contributed to the refinement of its acting and its music, leading to the creation of many magnificent pieces. In the Ming dynasty, there was Tang Xianzu's The Peony Pavilion, while in the Qing, there were Hong Sheng's The Palace of Eternal Youth and Kong Shangren's The Peach Blossom Fan.
由於文人大量投入創作，也在表演、音樂上細細琢磨，精彩的作品和表演輩出，除了明朝湯顯祖的《牡丹亭》外，清朝初年洪升的《長生殿》和孔尚任的《桃花扇》等也都轟動一時。