The active period of the Kung-an school lasted no more than fifteen years, from 1595 to 1610. In this short period, the expressive literary trend of the late Ming enjoyed a great vogue, and a writer's ability to express his innate sensibility (hsing-ling) was accorded the highest literary praise. However, this vogue did not last; Yuan Hung-tao's death in 1610 was a great setback for the expressive movement. After 1610 the opinions of the Kung-an school for the most part consisted of Yüan Chung-tao's compromised opinions and his somewhat reluctant criticism of his late brother, Hung-tao. Nevertheless, the influence of the Kung-an school not only outlived the death of Yuan Hung-tao, but also survived the decline of the Ming dynasty.

After 1610 the influence of the Kung-an school can be most immediately seen in the rise of the Ching-ling school {Ching-ling p'ai). The Ching-ling school has often been presented as the successor to the Kungan school. Chung Hsing (1574-1624) and T'an Yiian-ch'un (c. 1585- 1637), the founders of the Ching-ling school,1 have been regarded as followers of the three Yuan brothers. This connection can be deduced from the fact that the biographies of Chung Hsing and T'an Yuan-chun were appended to Yuan Hung-tao's biography in the Official History of the Ming (Ming-shih), instead of being entered as separate biographies.