Zheng Xuan

Zheng Xuan (127–200), courtesy name Kangcheng, was a native of Gaomi in Beihai Commandery (present-day Gaomi, Shandong) during the Eastern Han dynasty and a leading synthesizer of Han-dynasty classical scholarship. He annotated the Confucian classics extensively, integrating the New Text and Old Text traditions and founding the school known as "Zheng Studies"; later generations honored him as the "God of the Classics." Nine of his works are held in this collection, including the Mao Shi Jian, Yili Zhushu, Liji Zhu, Xiaojing Zhengyi, Xiaojing Zhu, and Yiwei Bianzhongbei. His works are commonly classified under ancient poetry, literary appreciation, culture, Eastern philosophy, and classic works. His annotations are distinguished by meticulous glossing of names and things and by their broad incorporation of earlier scholarship, clarifying the meaning of the classics while preserving a wealth of Han-dynasty interpretations. His commentaries on the Three Rites were especially influential and have long been valued in ritual studies and classical education. Public information on the details of his life is limited, so this introduction focuses on the subjects and influence of his writings.