This term describes the quality of loftiness or primitive simplicity, and is used primarily in literary criticism to refer to an ancient nobility, an aspiration or sentiment, or an artistic style of historical gravity. “Loftiness” here suggests transcending the limitation of space, not being tied down by concrete objects, thoughts, moods or wishes and conveys a sense of staying aloof from current affairs and worldly conventions. “Primitive simplicity” here means breaking loose from the confinement of time and traveling back to the remote past. It also implies an unadorned antiquity or austere dignity. By combining these two concepts, the term aims to weaken the imprint of its time and to transcend the bounds of reality, reaching for a normally unattainable realm linking the present to the past. Sometimes, this term is also used to refer to an elevated state of being attained by noble-minded persons.

A man of noble character, with total control over his vital energies, rises up to the heavenly domain, lotus flower in hand. He thus departs from this bitter world of life, making himself totally invisible. The moon rises from the east, sailing across the sky in a fresh breeze. As night falls, darkness closes in on Mount Hua. Clear sounds of bells can be heard. Tranquility reigns deep within, lifting the soul above mortal chaos. This man, in solitary admiration of the charming rusticity of prehistorical times, obeys the profoundly mystical Daoist principle with perfect ease. (Sikong Tu: Twenty-four Styles of Poetry)

Only Ruan Ji’s group of poems “Meditations” display an unadorned antiquity, imbued with the vigorous and forceful features of the poetry of the Jian’an period. (Yan Yu: Canglang's Criticism on Poetry)

Prose and poetry by Han Dynasty authors, so long as they have survived to this day, all show a lofty adherence to an unadorned antiquity and a charming rusticity. (Zhang Xuecheng: General Principles of History)