Abstract: This paper explores the aesthetic property and characteristics of Li Bai’s parallel prose, to prompt the scholars to think about what the beauty of parallel prose is. From discussions and works by the "four literary celebrities" of the early Tang Dynasty and Yan and Xu, we know that the new parallel prose in the Tang Dynasty had its own unique aesthetic pursuit. In fact, when creating parallel prose, Li Bai had unconsciously lived up the ideas in literary reform and aesthetic concepts by the "four celebrities". The parallel prose in chirography, which has different aesthetic characteristics and literary effects, according to its functions, the author’s position and discourse content, include 3 types: to ask someone for recommendation, to ask for exonerating somebody, to show one’s high ideals. The gift-preface in parallel prose can be created as a poem or other independent literary style. Its aesthetic characteristics depend on the depiction of figures (people to be bidden farewell to or the author) and the emotion expressed.

Key words: new parallel prose in the Tang Dynasty, parallel prose of Li Bai, aesthetic characteristics, parallel prose in chirography, gift-preface in parallel prose