Song of the Five Phoenixes
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Summary
Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought have distinctive features: religious theology, medical classics, ancient military texts, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—all are profound and extensive. This series, "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and spreading traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate character and subtly encounter the classics of Chinese learning.
Editor's review
This book is one title in the series "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts." The attributed author is "Chichi Daoren of Yunyang (also written Yunqian)"; it belongs to the literature of traditional storytelling. The series aims to preserve the original appearance of the books and spread traditional thought and culture, so this volume is closer to a presentation of the raw text than to a modern edition with collation, annotation, or popular rewriting. For readers interested in the textual sources of early fiction and in seeing traditional narrative texts as they originally appeared, it offers direct access to the material, allowing them to experience the language, plotting, and narrative pleasures of old storytelling. It should be read within the tradition of premodern fiction rather than judged by the standards of the modern novel. Lacking modern annotation or translation, it requires some experience with classical or early vernacular Chinese; readers can consult reference works for unfamiliar characters and expressions. Overall, its value lies in textual preservation and cultural transmission. It is suitable as supplementary material in a program of reading premodern fiction, and when read alongside works of fiction history, its place and characteristics become clearer.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in the textual sources of premodern storytelling who want access to the raw text
- Enthusiasts of traditional culture with experience in early vernacular Chinese who can look up characters and words on their own
- Literature researchers currently reading premodern fiction who need supplementary primary material
- Readers who prefer editions that preserve the original appearance and dislike modern rewrites
Not a good fit for
- Beginners who find early vernacular Chinese difficult and need annotation and translation
- Readers expecting a modern critical edition or scholarly findings
- Readers who want only tightly plotted modern fiction and have no patience for the pace of premodern narrative
Reading tips
- Begin by browsing the contents and opening pages to become familiar with the language and narrative pace, then decide whether to read closely or selectively.
- Look up unfamiliar characters and words as you go and make marginal notes, so that difficulties with wording do not interrupt reading.
- Read alongside works on the history of premodern fiction to understand the book's approximate place in the storytelling tradition.
- After finishing, summarize the main plot and character relationships in your own words to check whether you have truly understood it.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 五凤吟导读
- 第一回 闹圣会义士感恩
- 第二回 题佛赞梅香沾惠
- 第三回 做春梦惊散鸾俦
- 第四回 活遭瘟请尝稀味
- 第五回 爱情郎使人挑担
- 第六回 招刺客外戚吞刀
- 第七回 遭贪酷屈打成招
- 第八回 逢义盗行劫酬恩
- 第九回 致我死反因不死
- 第十回 该他钱倒引得钱
- 第十一回 害妹子权门遇嫂
- 第十二回 想佳人当面失迎
- 第十三回 玉姐烧香卜旧事
- 第十四回 婉如散闷哭新诗
- 第十五回 邹雪娥急中遇急
- 第十六回 张按院权内行权
- 第十七回 拜慈母轻烟诉苦
- 第十八回 除莽儿素梅致情
- 第十九回 剿枭寇二士争雄
- 第二十回 酬凤钗五凤齐鸣
FAQ
Who is Chichi Daoren? Does this book have a definite author?
The attribution given in the materials is "Chichi Daoren of Yunyang (also written Yunqian)." This is the kind of pseudonymous signature common in traditional storytelling and cannot be directly matched to a real name with definite biographical information. Apart from the attribution recorded in the materials, the author's life should not be conjectured. Readers may understand it as a signature phenomenon in premodern fictional literature.
Is this book in vernacular or classical Chinese?
The materials do not specify the linguistic form; they state only that the book belongs to a series that preserves the original appearance of the text. Traditional storytelling often uses early vernacular or a mixture of literary and vernacular Chinese, differing from purely classical works. Readers are advised to open the main text and read a page or two to judge, based on their own experience with early vernacular Chinese, whether they need reference works.
Why does this book have no modern annotation?
According to the materials, the series focuses on preserving the original appearance of the books and on preserving and spreading traditional Chinese thought and culture, so it does not popularize or rewrite them or provide modern annotation and translation. This gives readers direct access to the raw text, but the threshold for reading is correspondingly higher: readers need some ability to read early vernacular Chinese and a willingness to look up characters and words themselves.
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About the author
存题“云阳（一作云间）嗤嗤道人
Author
The author is recorded as "Cengti 'Yunyang (also written Yunjian) Chichi Daoren'," the name appended to the novel Wu Feng Yin (The Five Phoenixes' Song). His real name, courtesy name, native place, and dates of birth and death cannot be verified, and publicly available information is limited. Judging from the signature, "Yunyang" or "Yunjian" is likely a place name, while "Chichi Daoren" resembles a sobriquet with a self-deprecating or playful tone, consistent with the Ming and Qing habit of publishing popular fiction under pseudonyms. Wu Feng Yin belongs to the popular romance genre of talented scholars and beautiful maidens, its plot turning on the separations and reunions of lovers, written in plain and fluent prose suited to a broad urban readership. Such works are usually treated within the study of popular fiction and literary appreciation, valued chiefly for what they reveal about narrative taste, publishing practices, and reader preferences of the time, while the author's own life remains difficult to describe in detail.
