Wine Lore Past and Present

Name: Wine Lore Past and Present
ISBN: 9787100205573

胡山源The Commercial Press · ChinaAug 2024

4.0

Word count: 279K words
Chapters: 44
ISBN: 9787100205573

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Summary

For years, Hu Shanyuan devoted himself to compiling this comprehensive anthology of writings on wine from ancient and modern times. The book is divided into three parts. Part One, Monographs, gathers nineteen important ancient works on wine culture, including the Classic of Wine and Records of Wine Names. Part Two, Literature, collects significant ancient writings on wine—fu, shi, and ci poems, “Qinglian's Cup Songs,” and “wine lyrics” from successive dynasties. Part Three, Stories, is arranged under thirteen headings: Methods, Literature, Effects, Travel, Shops, Government, Grades and Names, Drinking Games, Calamities, Vessels, Admonitions, Rituals and Customs, and Peculiar Habits. A vast and impressive compendium, it is essential reading for anyone who loves or studies wine culture. Books on wine culture within traditional Chinese culture remain scarce in China. This book was first published by World Book Company in 1941. In 1985 Shanghai Bookstore Publishing House issued a photocopy edition, reprinted in 1992. Yet copies are now hard to find, and all published editions are right-bound vertical texts, unsuited to modern reading habits.

Editor's review

Compiled by Hu Shanyuan, this compendium on wine culture is published by The Commercial Press. It is not a mere heap of historical materials but uses wine as a thread to connect a vivid, three-dimensional history of Chinese civilization. Drawing on deep scholarship and broad learning, Hu combed through a vast sea of ancient texts, gathering wine lore, figures, allusions, drinking games, vessels, and even wine administration scattered across the classics, histories, philosophical works, belles-lettres, notebooks, and poetry, and arranged them by category into one volume. Its contents reach back to remote antiquity and extend to modern times; it includes textual research on the origins of wine and brewing methods, surveys of wine administration and customs through the ages, and a wealth of anecdotes about men of letters and wine, written with elegance and brimming with interest. Reading it is like entering a museum of wine: one not only learns about wine as a material substance but also deeply appreciates the rites, emotions, philosophy, and artistic connotations it carries as a cultural symbol. For contemporary readers, it is not only an authoritative reader for understanding traditional wine culture but also a window into the tastes and spiritual world of the ancients, and its cultural value and reading pleasure remain ever fresh.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in traditional Chinese culture, especially the history of daily life and folk culture
Enthusiasts seeking a systematic understanding of the historical development and rich details of Chinese wine culture
Readers who enjoy savoring the tastes and spiritual world of the ancients through anecdotes and allusions
Professionals in cultural research, writing, or related creative work who need inspiration from traditional culture

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking quick, practical brewing techniques or tasting guides
Readers who find classical Chinese or traditional textual expression difficult and lack the patience to read closely

Reading tips

It is not necessary to read straight through; begin with chapters or sections of interest according to the table of contents or index, such as "Wine Figures," "Drinking Games," or "Wine Allusions," and ease into the book.
Reading alongside relevant historical background or literary works helps one appreciate the wit of the anecdotes—for example, when reading about a poet's encounters with wine, recalling the related poems.
Treat it as a cultural reference book or collection of essays; leaf through a few entries in spare moments, accumulating gradually and slowly savoring the mellow charm of traditional culture.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.

版权信息
序
凡例
第一辑专著
抱朴子·酒诫
齐民要术·造神曲并酒
酒经·酿酒法
北山酒经
续北山酒经
酒名记·酒名
酒尔雅·释酒
酒谱
文献通考·论宋酒坊
酒小史
本草纲目·酒
遵生八笺·酝造类
天工开物·酒母
安雅堂酒令
五杂俎·物部·论酒
觞政
日知录·酒禁
酒社刍言
懒园觞政
第二辑艺文
辞赋
诗
词
青莲觞咏
唐宋元明酒词
第三辑故事
方法
文学
功效
行游
官政
店肆
品名
饮令
量能
祸乱
器用
谏诫
礼俗
癖习

FAQ

Is this book about how to brew or taste wine?

The book focuses primarily on the cultural, historical, and social dimensions of wine, gathering a wealth of records, allusions, anecdotes about historical figures, and institutional customs concerning wine from historical documents. Although it touches on ancient brewing methods, it is not a modern brewing manual or tasting guide.

Is the content all in classical Chinese? Is it difficult to read?

The book was compiled by Hu Shanyuan from ancient documents; the main content is original classical Chinese text, but it has been systematically classified and arranged and includes necessary annotations and explanations. Readers with some grounding in classical Chinese will find it a pleasurable read; beginners may need some patience but can start with the relatively accessible anecdotal sections.

What is the value of this edition and its source material?

The book was first published last century by The Commercial Press and has long been known for its detailed sources, rigorous textual research, and careful compilation; it is an important reference for studying Chinese wine culture and related social history. This edition is an authoritative reissue that ensures the completeness and reliability of the content.

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About the author

胡山源 Author

Hu Shanyuan is an author about whom relatively little biographical information survives; publicly available sources are limited, and details such as his place of origin, dates of birth and death, and educational background cannot be reliably established. Judging from the bibliographic records available, his writing interests center on aspects of daily life within traditional Chinese culture, and his representative works are two books, Ancient and Modern Tea Matters and Ancient and Modern Wine Matters. These two volumes take tea and wine as their themes, drawing together related historical documents and anecdotes from various periods; they combine informative content with readability and fall under the category of cultural and historical reading. His writing emphasizes the organization and presentation of historical material, in plain language, with attention to letting readers understand the historical development of tea and wine culture through accessible reading. Although only a small number of works are currently known, the choice of subjects shows a sustained interest in traditional life culture, and popular works of this kind offer general readers a convenient introduction to the field.