Complete Yuan Qu 147

Feng Xueli / 薛鸿鹏The Commercial Press · ChinaJan 2021

3.8

Word count: 19K words
Chapters: 12

Summary

Quan Yuan Qu is an emerging literary form, generally divided into zaju and sanqu. It produced great writers and many outstanding works, and has had a profound influence on literary history. Sanqu grew out of the popular ballads and folk tunes of the Jin dynasty; the vast majority belongs to the northern qu and includes xiaoling and taoshu. More than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu survive today. There are more than 253 authors known by name, among them 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 song lyrics for entertainers at banquets, erotic pieces are relatively numerous, but there is also no lack of xiaoling on scenery, lyric expression and meditation on the past, and taoshu satirizing worldly manners and criticizing contemporary abuses; famous examples include Ma Zhiyuan's "Borrowing a Horse," Liu Shizhong's "To Supervisor Gao," and Sui Jingchen's "The Founder Returns Home." Yuan zaju originally circulated in the Shanxi and Hebei region, and in the early Yuan flowed ...

Editor's review

This volume is the 147th volume of the large-scale collated edition Quan Yuan Qu, reproduced or collated from the original Republican-era Commercial Press edition. The authors, Feng Xueli and Xue Hongpeng, have long been engaged in collating dramatic literature, and this volume continues the set's format, including Yuan-dynasty sanqu and zaju works. Yuan qu, a literature of its era alongside Tang poetry and Song ci, survives in its sanqu portion as more than 3,800 xiaoling and over 450 taoshu, with themes covering scenery, lyric expression, meditation on the past and satire of the world; masters such as Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu, Zhang Kejiu and Sui Jingchen are all represented. The zaju, meanwhile, preserve the early appearance of northern drama in the Yuan dynasty. This volume is suitable as desk reference material for thematic study of Yuan qu, and is also convenient for reading sequentially by volume or for looking up specific authors and works. When reading, it is advisable to use annotated editions and works on drama history alongside it, so as to understand qupai prosody and the historical background and gain a more complete view of literary history.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and researchers of classical literature who need to consult primary Yuan qu sources
Drama enthusiasts who wish to understand Yuan zaju and sanqu texts systematically
Readers with some classical Chinese foundation who are willing to read Yuan popular literature closely
Libraries and textual collation institutions, as a Yuan qu collection resource

Not a good fit for

Readers new to classical Chinese, for whom the original texts present a high threshold
General readers seeking only light entertainment
Beginners who want single-piece selected editions with annotations

Reading tips

First read the volume's preface and table of contents to understand the scope of inclusion before entering the main text
Read by author in concentrated fashion, comparing qupai names to appreciate the formal differences between xiaoling and taoshu
When encountering obscure qu lyrics, read the surrounding context first, then consult reference works and annotated editions
Compare with anthologies such as Yuan Qu Xuan to see the differences between anthologies and complete collections

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
杜牧之诗酒扬州梦
楔子
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折
玉箫女两世姻缘
第一折
第二折
第三折
第四折

FAQ

Is this 147th volume suitable for reading straight through?

It can be read straight through, but reading by author or qupai grouped in the table of contents is more advisable. Yuan qu works are vast in number, and this is only one volume of a complete collection; understanding the scope first and then selectively reading representative works closely makes it easier to grasp the overall thread than reading page by page.

Can readers with no background in Yuan qu understand it?

Sanqu language is close to colloquial speech, and some xiaoling are not difficult to understand, but zaju involve qupai, stage directions and dialogue, and contemporary slang, which pose obstacles for beginners. It is better to first read annotated Yuan qu anthologies to build a foundation, then return to this volume to consult the original texts.

How are sanqu and zaju distinguished in this set?

Sanqu are unaccompanied sung lyrics, divided into xiaoling and taoshu; zaju are performed drama with stage directions and dialogue. This volume is arranged according to the set's format; readers can judge by the table of contents and the form of the pieces, and can also consult the volume preface for the specific arrangement.

What should be noted when citing this photo-offset original edition?

The Republican-era original edition has its own typographic and character features; when citing, one should verify page numbers and edition information and cross-check against collated editions or authoritative annotated editions. For key qu texts, it is best to note the edition relied on to avoid misquotation caused by blurry photo-offset printing.

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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.