These scholar-painters aimed to cultivate "inner spirit," and by painting landscapes they hoped to grab hold of some of the qi (literally breath) of heaven and earth. By painting noble pines and bamboo, they were able to convey their own high moral principles. "In a quest for self-knowledge, they naturally didn't stress outer appearance," says Hsiao Chiung-jui, a lecturer in history at National Chengkung University.
文人們以畫的「內蘊境界」為目的，畫山水在於捕捉天地的生「氣」，畫松竹隱託自己的氣節，「對於自我的認識，自然也不重外觀上描摹」，成功大學歷史系講師蕭瓊瑞表示。