Eight-legged essay

The eight-legged essay (Chinese: 八股文; pinyin: bāgǔwén) was a style of essay in imperial examinations during the Ming and Qing dynasties in China. The eight-legged essay was intended to assess candidates' merits for government service, often focusing on Confucian thought and knowledge of the Four Books and Five Classics, in relation to governmental ideals. Various skills were examined, including the ability to write coherently and to display basic logic. Due to its rigid, formulaic attributes, the eight-legged essay is often accused by later Chinese critics to have contributed to China's "cultural stagnation and economic backwardness" in the 19th century.