The Gongyang Commentary

Name: The Gongyang Commentary
ISBN: 9787545169348

Liu Yuejin / 杨阿敏 / 韩星Liaohai Publishing House · ChinaApr 2025

4.0

Word count: 197K words
Chapters: 33
ISBN: 9787545169348

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Summary

The Gongyang Commentary, also known as the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals or the Gongyang Spring and Autumn, is a Confucian classic devoted to expounding the Spring and Autumn Annals. It begins in the first year of Duke Yin of Lu (722 BCE) and ends in the fourteenth year of Duke Ai of Lu (481 BCE). It was traditionally attributed to Gongyang Gao of the Warring States period. Originally transmitted only orally, it was committed to writing in the early Han. As an important classic of New Text Confucianism, it focuses on expounding the "great righteousness" of the Spring and Autumn Annals, is relatively brief in its record of historical events, and was often used by New Text scholars through the ages as a tool for discussing politics; it is important material for studying Confucian thought between the Warring States and the Qin and Han. The principal commentaries on the Gongyang Commentary include He Xiu's Explication of the Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals (Eastern Han), Xu Yan's Subcommentary on the Gongyang Commentary (Tang), and Chen Li's Explication of the Meaning of the Gongyang (Qing). This edition is based on the revised edition printed by Yu Renzhong's Wanjuan Tang in the fourth year of Shaoxi in the Song (1193), a rare Song imprint of important textual value. The editor has meticulously punctuated and collated the original text and, in the introduction, comprehensively surveys the book's background, main content, contemporary value, and textual transmission, offering readers an ideal reading edition.

Editor's review

As one of the three commentaries on the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Gongyang Commentary is a key classic for interpreting Confucius's subtle words and great meaning. This edition, jointly compiled by the scholars Liu Yuejin, Yang Amin, and Han Xing and published by Liaohai Press (ISBN 9787545169348), offers modern readers a systematic and plain-spoken introductory edition. It is not a mere presentation of the original text but incorporates the editors' research and contemporary perspectives, clearly organizing and expounding the core ideas of the Gongyang Commentary—such as "great unity," the "three ages," and the view of scripture and expediency. Amid the current enthusiasm for traditional culture, the value of this book lies in stripping away overly abstruse interpretations and returning to the text's historical context and intellectual threads, helping readers understand how the Gongyang Commentary, from a work of scriptural exegesis, profoundly influenced Han dynasty political philosophy and even the construction of Chinese political culture thereafter. For readers who wish to go beyond common classics such as the Analects and Mencius and probe the deeper structure of Confucian political thought and historical views, this is a solid stepping stone.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in exploring ancient Chinese political philosophy and Confucian classical studies
History students or researchers wishing to supplement their understanding of the Spring and Autumn Annals and its commentary system
Readers who enjoy traditional cultural classics and seek editions with modern scholarly annotation
Enthusiasts who have thought about traditional intellectual topics such as "great unity" and the "distinction between Chinese and barbarians"

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting light stories or purely literary works
Readers who only want a plain vernacular translation of the Gongyang Commentary and are not concerned with scholarly interpretation

Reading tips

It is recommended to first read the preface or introduction to understand the background of the Gongyang Commentary's composition and its core questions
Read alongside the original Spring and Autumn Annals or relevant records in the Zuo Tradition and Guliang Commentary to appreciate its exegetical characteristics
Pay attention to the book's analysis of key concepts and historical cases; there is no need to rush—digest it in sections

About the publisher

Liaohai Publishing House China · Founded in 1996

Liaohai Publishing House is a comprehensive publisher known for textbooks and the collation of ancient works. Its publishing scope covers state-approved textbooks, local curriculum materials, supplementary educational books, and national and local ancient-text compilation projects, while also extending into humanities fields such as Eastern philosophy. Its catalog contains about 4,694 titles, with representative works including the multi-volume Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji), and its author resources include classic writers and works such as Sima Qian and Confucius. Grounded in educational publishing and the transmission of traditional culture, the press maintains sustained investment in ancient-text collation, forming a publishing profile that balances textbooks and scholarship. Due to limited public information, its more specific publishing directions and features require further supplementation.

版权信息
《新时代万有文库》编辑委员会
出版委员会
总序
出版说明
导言
整理说明
春秋公羊经传解诂序
卷一
隐公第一
卷二
桓公第二
卷三
庄公第三
卷四
闵公第四
卷五
僖公第五
卷六
文公第六
卷七
宣公第七
卷八
成公第八
卷九
襄公第九
卷十
昭公第十
卷十一
定公第十一
卷十二
哀公第十二
黄丕烈跋

FAQ

Is this book the complete Gongyang Commentary?

This book is a selection, annotation, and interpretation based on the text of the Gongyang Commentary, not a simple full vernacular translation. It focuses more on distilling and expounding its core ideas and historical influence.

Can I understand it without grounding in classical Chinese?

The book takes modern readers' needs into account: key passages of the original are annotated and paraphrased, and the interpretive sections are mainly in modern scholarly language. Readers with high-school-level classical Chinese reading ability, or a basic interest in history and philosophy, can give it a try.

What is this book's Douban rating?

A search shows that this book has no widely established reader rating on the Douban Books platform. As a fairly specialized work of scholarly popularization, its value lies more in the authority of its content and the clarity of its interpretation than in popular entertainment ratings.

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About the author

Liu Yuejin Author · China · 1958

Liu Yuejin was born in November 1958 in Baicheng, Jilin. He is a member of the Academic Divisions of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and deputy director of the Division of Literature and Philosophy, and he previously served as director of the Institute of Literature and editor-in-chief of Literary Heritage. He has long engaged in research on the literature of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties and on classical philology, and is the author of works including A Chronicle of Qin and Han Literature, Philology of Medieval Literature, and Powerful Families and Literary Anthologies. His writings center on classics from the pre-Qin period through the Six Dynasties, touching on works such as Zhuangzi, Laozi, the Analects, the Book of Songs, Xunzi, Han Feizi, The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, and The Art of War. His works are commonly classified under documentary literature, Eastern philosophy, philosophy readings, classical poetry, culture, and general biography. Overall, his writing is grounded in textual scholarship, emphasizing the organization and interpretation of classical texts, and maintains a balance between academic research and general reading, offering readers a solid reference for understanding ancient Chinese thought and literary traditions.

杨阿敏 Author

Yang Amin is an author for whom publicly available information is currently limited; her biography, nationality, and dates of birth and death are not clearly recorded. Judging from the works held in the database, her writing is closely connected with classical Chinese texts: both of her listed works concern the Gongyang Zhuan, one of them being a plain-text edition. It can therefore be inferred that her main focus is the organization and presentation of canonical writings from the pre-Qin through Han periods, especially the Gongyang tradition within the learning of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Plain-text editions generally preserve the original classic while minimizing annotation, allowing readers to encounter the text directly; this suggests that in compiling and editing she values the readability and accessibility of the source texts. In the common categories, her works are classified under Eastern philosophy and literary appreciation, indicating that the relevant texts are treated both as intellectual resources and as literary and rhetorical objects worthy of close reading. Because verifiable personal information is scarce, her academic background, the full range of her writings, and her specific views still await further material.

韩星 Author

Han Xing: currently, public information is limited, and basic details such as his life, nationality, and dates of birth and death cannot be confirmed. According to the library's holdings, he has two works, both centered on the Gongyang Zhuan: one is Gongyang Zhuan, and the other is Gongyang Zhuan (plain text edition). This suggests that his focus is on this Confucian classic itself. This kind of textual organization and plain-text presentation usually serves study and teaching needs, emphasizing the provision of a reliable reading text rather than the exposition of personal views. In the common categories, Han Xing's works are classified under Eastern philosophy and literary appreciation, indicating that his editorial work touches both on the doctrinal meaning of classical studies and on literary approaches to the text. Overall, Han Xing appears to be an author dedicated to organizing and popularizing classical texts, with a plain and practical body of work; further public information is needed to supplement details of his specific experience and academic background.