Complete Yuan Qu 124

Feng Xueli / 薛鸿鹏The Commercial Press · ChinaJan 2021

3.7

Word count: 18K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Quanyuanqu (Complete Yuan Qu) is an emerging literary genre, generally divided into zaju (miscellaneous drama) and sanqu (non-dramatic song). It produced great writers and many outstanding works, exerting a profound influence on literary history. Sanqu grew out of the popular ballads and folk tunes of the Jin Dynasty; the vast majority belong to the northern qu, comprising xiaoling (short lyrics) and taoshu (song suites). More than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu survive today. There are more than 228 named authors, including Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, and Bai Pu in the early period, and Qi Ji, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, Zhang Yanghao, and Liu Shizhong in the later period. Because sanqu was often used as lyrics for singing girls at banquets, many are amorous songs, but there is no lack of xiaoling on scenery, lyric expression, and reflections on the past, as well as taoshu satirizing worldly ways and criticizing contemporary abuses; famous examples include Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To High Commissioner Gao," and Sui Jingchen's "The Great Founder Returns Home." Yuan zaju originally circulated in the Shanxi and Hebei regions; in the early Yuan it spread

Editor's review

This volume continues the Quanyuanqu facsimile series, based on the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition, preserving the layout and textual features of the early typesetting. It can serve as a reference for research on editions of Yuan qu. The book covers Yuan sanqu and zaju; sanqu includes xiaoling and taoshu, with authors spanning Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, Zhang Yanghao, and others. Subjects range from banquet amorous songs to works on scenery, lyric expression, reflections on the past, and social satire; famous pieces such as Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To High Commissioner Gao," and Sui Jingchen's "The Great Founder Returns Home" are all discussed. Its value lies mainly at the documentary level rather than in offering a popular introduction. It suits readers with a foundation in classical literature who need to consult the original printed appearance or conduct collation and comparison. For general appreciation, reading alongside an annotated anthology is recommended to avoid difficulties in understanding caused by layout and textual obstacles.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of classical literature who need to compare the Republican-era edition with later edited versions
Yuan qu enthusiasts with classical Chinese reading ability who are willing to study the original texts
Editors and staff in ancient book collation, as a reference for editions of Yuan qu documents
Teachers and students in university Chinese-related programs, for extended course reading and reference lookup

Not a good fit for

Absolute beginners, for whom the lack of annotations and introduction makes the original text hard to follow
Readers seeking leisure who prefer modern typesetting and vernacular explanation
Learners who need systematic literary history instruction rather than a compilation of primary documents

Reading tips

First browse the table of contents to identify the volume's key pieces, and use literary history textbooks to situate authors and works
Read alongside a standard annotated edition, paying attention to textual variants and layout differences
Read in groups by author or genre, for example, first Guan Hanqing's and Ma Zhiyuan's sanqu, then the taoshu
When encountering damaged or hard-to-read text, consult other editions promptly rather than making arbitrary guesses

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

"Republic-era Commercial Press Original Editions" refers to original books printed by The Commercial Press during the Republican period, not a separate publishing house. Judging from the 300 titles held in the collection, its publishing focus centers on classical poetry and lyrics, literary appreciation, classic works, military texts, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Zhong Rong's Shipin, the lyric collections of Xin Qiji and Liu Yong, Sun Wu's The Art of War, and Lü Buwei's Xianshi Lan. Its author resources are mainly classical writers, together with modern scholars such as Li Jingbang and Guo Huaruo, whose collations and annotations are also represented, giving the list a character centered on original texts while attending to annotation and appreciation. Public information on the precise Republican-era catalog and printings is limited; this overview is based only on the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
武汉臣
散家财天赐老生儿
楔子
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折

FAQ

How is this book different from Yuan qu anthologies on the market?

This book belongs to a facsimile series based on the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition, emphasizing the preservation of the early printed appearance and generally not providing modern annotations or introductions. Market anthologies mostly include annotations and explanatory notes, making them convenient for introductory appreciation. The two serve different purposes; this book is better suited to edition reference and research consultation.

Can all the sanqu authors and pieces mentioned in the book be read in this volume?

The material outlines the overall situation of Yuan sanqu and mentions authors such as Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu, Zhang Kejiu, Sui Jingchen, and Zhang Yanghao, as well as famous pieces such as "Borrowing a Horse," "To High Commissioner Gao," and "The Great Founder Returns Home." However, which works are specifically included in this volume should be based on the book's table of contents; one should not infer the complete contents from the overview.

What reference books should I prepare for reading?

It is advisable to have an annotated Yuan qu anthology or a collated complete works for comparison, and a dictionary of ancient Chinese for looking up uncommon characters and expressions. If doing edition comparison, prepare a notebook to record variants. Readers with the resources may also consult research works on Yuan qu to help understand the genre's background.

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About the author

Feng Xueli Author

Feng Xueli is an editor engaged in the collation of ancient Chinese texts; public information about him is limited, and no authoritative record of his life, native place, dates of birth and death has been found. According to available records, in 1999 he edited the combined "Complete Tang Poems," "Complete Song Ci," and "Complete Yuan Qu," published by Inner Mongolia Cultural Press in sixteen volumes. He also co-edited "Complete Tang Poems" and "Complete Yuan Qu" with Xue Hongpeng. Fifty-six of his works are held in the collection, mainly individual volumes of the "Complete Yuan Qu" series, such as volumes 142 through 149. Classified under ancient poetry, these works reflect his focus on compiling and collating classical verse—Tang poems, Song ci, and Yuan qu—providing readers with a relatively systematic body of texts for studying ancient Chinese poetry and song.

薛鸿鹏 Author

Xue Hongpeng is an author for whom public information is currently limited; details such as nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. According to Chinese book databases, 55 works appear under this name, mainly in the category of classical poetry, with representative titles being volumes 142 to 149 of the Complete Yuan Qu series. These works center on the compilation and presentation of Yuan dynasty sanqu and zaju texts, systematically assembling Yuan qu literature so that readers can consult material from this period in a concentrated way. The editing style tends toward documentary organization, emphasizing textual completeness and orderly arrangement, and serves the reading and research needs of enthusiasts of classical poetry and qu studies. Owing to the lack of biographical detail, little more can be said about the author's scholarly background.