Public Tallies

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.3

Word count: 265 words
Chapters: 2

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Summary

Gongfu, a term glossed in citations as an official credential.

Editor's review

This book takes as its subject the ancient concept of the "gongfu," or official credential, and belongs to the genre of institutional and material-name scholarship. Bashu Publishing House has long been devoted to the collation of traditional cultural texts; here it gathers scattered references from the literature into a single volume, offering readers a concentrated and reliable textual basis for understanding the mechanisms of authentication in ancient administrative practice. Its value lies not in narrative appeal but in the systematic organization of materials and the concision of its annotations, making it a suitable desk reference for the study of institutional history, legal history, and paleographic sources. It need not be read straight through; readers may follow specific research questions and compare entries with excavated documents and transmitted classics, often gaining insight into an entire institution from a single term. Non-specialist readers are advised to acquire a basic outline of the ancient tally and credential system before approaching the book, lest they lose their bearings amid dense terminology.

Who it's for

A good fit for

University faculty and students researching ancient political institutions and administrative practice
Specialist readers engaged in legal history and documentary studies
Scholars of literature and history who need to consult references on the "gongfu"
Enthusiasts interested in ancient credential systems with some grounding in classical Chinese

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking popular historical narrative and storytelling
Beginners with weak classical Chinese who find dense terminology difficult
Readers expecting a systematic general history rather than a compilation of sources

Reading tips

Begin with the preface or editorial notes to understand the scope and arrangement, then consult entries as needed.
Read entries alongside the Shuowen Jiezi and excavated tally and credential materials to deepen understanding.
Keep a notebook and excerpt passages under three headings—institutions, character forms, and usage examples—for later reference.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
公符第七十九

FAQ

What exactly does "gongfu" refer to?

According to the citations in this book, gongfu denotes an official credential, a type of document or token within the ancient administrative and authentication system. The book gathers and explicates relevant textual records around this concept, helping readers grasp its specific reference and usage in the context of ancient institutions.

Can I read this book without any grounding in classical Chinese?

This is a work of textual scholarship, with quotations largely in literary Chinese and dense terminology. Readers with weak classical Chinese will find it difficult; they are advised to first acquire basic knowledge of ancient institutional terminology and classical reading, or to read it alongside a general institutional history with detailed annotations.

Is this book meant to be read from cover to cover?

Reading it straight through is not recommended. It is closer to a compilation of sources and textual research, and the entries do not necessarily form a continuous narrative. A more effective approach is to understand the arrangement first, then consult entries relevant to one's research or interests, comparing them with transmitted classics and excavated materials.

What can I gain from reading this book?

The main gain is a more concrete understanding of the "gongfu" as an official credential concept, and through it a glimpse of one aspect of the ancient authentication system. For researchers in institutional and legal history, the book serves as a tool for tracing textual references; for enthusiasts, it trains the approach of understanding ancient institutions through material names.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.