The Lu genre录体 originated as a practical writing style for documenting history and events， emphasizing factual recording. Classified as the “lowest grade of literature and art” within the hierarchy of literary genres， it was commonly found in peripheral historiographical categories such as Zashi杂史， Zazhuan杂传 and geography within the History Section of traditional bibliographies. Although adopted in some literary compilations， it was often associated with marginalized popular literature in later generations.

Following the Six Dynasties， many fiction collections were titled “Lu，” a trend that aligned with the oral and compilation traditions of fiction while leveraging the historiographical authority of the “Lu” genre to elevate its own status. Within the historiography， literature， and related scholarship of Chinese traditional opera， Lu was an early and influential form of compilation. Works such as

Yuefu Zalu

乐府杂录，

Lugui Bu

录鬼簿，

Naci Xulu

南词叙录，

Qulu

曲录，

Youyu Lu

优语录 integrated the characteristics of the “Lu” genre with theatrical arts， establishing the naming strategy of Lu on the basis of historical tradition， and preserving a large amount of precious historical materials and documents for Chinese theater. At the same time， the Lu genre evolved into a vital mode of theatrical criticism， actively participating in Zunti尊体， Bianti辨体 and stylistic construction of Chinese drama.