Biographies of Exemplary Women

Liu XiangNational Library of China Publishing House · ChinaDec 2014

4.0

Word count: 57K words
Chapters: 19

Summary

Lienü Zhuan (Biographies of Exemplary Women) is a book that introduces the behavior of women in ancient China, and some also view it as a history of women. Divided into seven volumes, it records the stories of 105 women. The seven volumes are: Motherly Exemplars, the Worthy and Enlightened, the Benevolent and Wise, the Chaste and Obedient, the Principled and Righteous, Skilled Communicators, and Depraved Favorites. During the Western Han dynasty, consort clans wielded great power, and court upheavals often bore their mark. Liu Xiang believed that "royal teaching spreads from within outward, beginning with those closest," and so wrote this book to admonish the emperor, his consorts, and the consort clans. The stories it selects reflect Confucian views of women; some of what it praises is regarded by most people today as unfair treatment of women.

Editor's review

Lienü Zhuan, compiled by the Western Han scholar Liu Xiang, is far more than a simple "collection of ancient women's stories." It gathers the words and deeds of more than a hundred women from high antiquity to the Han dynasty, arranged in seven categories including "Motherly Model," "Wise and Bright," and "Benevolent and Clever." As an editor, I see its core value on three levels. First, historical-documentary value: it is primary material for studying the social history, women's history, and formation of Confucian ethics from the pre-Qin to the Han, preserving many records not found in the standard histories. Second, literary-narrative value: Liu Xiang uses vivid "biography"-style narrative, rounded off with summary "odes," with strong storytelling and distinct characters that showcase early biographical literature. Third, intellectual-cultural value: it embodies the Han Confucian idealization of women's roles and is a key text for understanding the traditional notion of "female virtue" and its evolution. This edition from the National Library of China Publishing House uses the Song print of Gu Lienü Zhuan as its base, with careful collation and appended research materials, suited to serious reading and scholarly reference. Readers should note that the values the book promotes carry clear limitations of their era and should be examined with a historicized, contextualized critical eye.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers and students interested in ancient Chinese social history and women's history
Readers who want to go to primary sources to understand how Confucian ethics were constructed
Classical literature lovers, especially those interested in early biographical literature and narrative traditions
Readers with some grounding in classical Chinese willing to engage in deep textual reading and reflection

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking light, entertaining ancient stories and averse to reading classical Chinese
Readers expecting a "female role model" book fully in line with modern gender equality

Reading tips

Begin with the preface and editorial notes to understand the compilation background, textual history, and classification standards, and to build a reading framework
Combine category-based selective reading with comparative reading, for example comparing the images of women in "Motherly Model" and "Elocution" to consider the criteria
Keep reference works at hand or use the accompanying annotations, and read in light of Liu Xiang's life and Han intellectual background rather than interpreting the text in isolation

About the publisher

National Library of China Publishing House China · Founded in 1979

The National Library of China Publishing House focuses on the collation of ancient books and the publication of traditional culture. It specializes in reprinting rare historical documents, compiling bibliographic and indexing reference works, and publishing library science titles. The books in this catalog indicate publishing directions covering general biography, Eastern philosophy, and historical reading. Representative titles include Liu Xiang's Biographies of Exemplary Women (Lienü Zhuan), as well as The Analects, The Classic of Filial Piety, and Mencius from the Hundred Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture series, written by scholars such as Qian Xun, Wang Shoukuan, and Liang Tao. Drawing on the collections of the National Library of China, the publisher balances scholarly rigor with readability in both the reprinting of ancient works and the popularization of classics. Its authors are primarily scholars in the fields of ancient book collation and traditional culture research. As only five titles are recorded in this catalog and public information is limited, this introduction emphasizes the publishing directions and characteristics reflected in the available titles.

版权信息
目录
公版书总序
心如大地明，行如墨绳彰——刘向
帝当慕贞媛，莫为孽嬖乱——《列女传》
正文
卷一母仪传
卷二贤明传
卷三仁智传
卷四贞顺传
卷五节义传
卷六辩通传
卷七孽嬖传
如是我闻
一、《列女传》的名称由来
二、良人此去余长恨——关于古代贞节牌坊
三、弱水三千岂一瓢——关于古代帝王选妃
四、灵凤展翅求其凰——恩爱的皇帝夫妇
五、最毒妇人心，娥眉不堪妒——历史上被残害致死的妃子

FAQ

What does "lienü" in Lienü Zhuan mean? How is it different from the modern sense of "lie nü" (chaste martyrs)?

The title "lienü" means "the various women" or "the assembled women," a compilation of the deeds of many women; the emphasis is on "listing," and the women covered are of diverse types, not specifically the "chaste and steadfast." The later concept of "lie nü" emphasizes chastity and martyrdom; it is the result of a narrowed meaning and later evolution, distinct from the original sense of this book.

What is special about this edition?

This edition from the National Library of China Publishing House belongs to the "Series of Basic Classics of Chinese Studies" and its distinguishing feature is that it is a facsimile reproduction. It uses the Southern Song Jian'an Yu family print held at the National Library as its base, one of the earliest extant prints, preserving the original appearance of the ancient book to the greatest extent; it has high textual and research value and suits textual study and collecting.

As a modern reader, how should I evaluate the book's thought content?

Many of the behavioral norms the book advocates (such as lifelong fidelity to one husband, gentleness and humility) are products of the ethical views of a particular historical period. Readers are advised to combine historical sympathy with critical analysis: on one hand, understand their function in maintaining social order at the time and their idealized aspirations; on the other, recognize their limitations and constraints on women's development from the standpoint of modern human rights and gender equality, and think dialectically.

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About the author

Liu Xiang Author · Chinese (Western Han)

Liu Xiang (77 BCE–6 BCE), courtesy name Zizheng and originally named Gengsheng, was a member of the Western Han imperial clan and a scholar of the classics, a bibliographer, and a literary figure. Publicly available details of his life are limited, and even his birth and death years are disputed, yet his place in the history of Chinese bibliography and literature is clear. Under Emperor Cheng he led the collation of the imperial library and compiled the Bielu, a systematic catalogue and edition of court texts, and later generations honored him as the founder of Chinese bibliography. He edited and compiled the Intrigues of the Warring States and the Songs of Chu, helping to preserve both works, and wrote such books as the Xinxu, Shuoyuan, and Lienü Zhuan, which often use historical anecdotes and the words and deeds of figures to expound political and ethical teachings, combining historical value with literary interest. His editorial and compilation work spans literary appreciation, folk literature, Eastern philosophy, and documentary prose, and has greatly aided later understanding of thought and writing from the pre-Qin through the Han period.