The Humble Family

Chen MengleiJun 2024

2.0

Word count: 14K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive, and subjects such as religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are profound and extensive. This series, "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts," preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

As a volume in the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, Han Men's value lies not in offering a single inspirational narrative but in presenting the thought texts left by ancient sages to contemporary readers in a form close to the original. The book preserves the appearance of the original and covers multiple aspects of traditional thought and culture; readers can encounter the ancients' basic ideas on self-cultivation, conduct in the world and scholarship. For readers who wish to bypass secondhand interpretation and directly feel the language of classic Chinese texts, this arrangement offers a relatively reliable entry point. There is no need to try to finish it in one sitting; it is better to enter by theme or chapter in stages, using annotations and reference works to understand the meaning. Its significance lies in subtly cultivating a sense of closeness to traditional thought rather than providing quick knowledge conclusions. It is suitable as a family book or an auxiliary reader for beginning the study of Chinese classics, and also for readers with some classical Chinese foundation who are willing to read slowly and savor it.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers with initial interest in traditional Chinese culture who wish to encounter original texts
Middle school students and their parents needing auxiliary readers for Chinese classics
Readers who like slow, careful reading and are willing to read chapter by chapter
Readers who wish to keep traditional culture books at home

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting popular stories or plot-driven narrative
People with weak classical Chinese who are unwilling to use annotated reference works
Readers hoping for systematic academic textual research or modern research conclusions

Reading tips

First browse the table of contents to understand the general distribution of contents, then choose chapters of interest to begin reading.
Keep a dictionary of common classical Chinese at hand; look up rare characters and words and mark them as you go.
Read only a small passage each time, then retell the main idea in your own words to deepen understanding.
Read alongside other titles in the same series to feel different sides of traditional thought.

版权信息
寒门
中寒
医门法律【清喻昌】
阴病论
律三条
色脉六则
论寒病证治

FAQ

How much classical Chinese foundation is needed to read this book?

The book preserves the appearance of the original. Readers with an ordinary foundation in classical Chinese can read it, but it is advisable to keep a classical Chinese dictionary at hand and look up unfamiliar characters and words promptly. There is no need to understand everything at once; begin with passages whose language is relatively simple and gradually adapt to classical Chinese expression.

Is this book suitable as a children's introduction to Chinese classics?

It can be used as an auxiliary reader, but not as the only introductory material. The original text preserved in the book is somewhat difficult for children; parents are advised to read with them, or first choose a version with vernacular annotation as a transition, then return to this book to feel the language of the original.

What practical gains can be had from reading this book?

The main gain is direct contact with traditional thought texts in their original form, cultivating a feel for classical Chinese expression and a sense of closeness to traditional ideas. It does not offer quick conclusions; it is better suited as a reader for long-term slow reading and subtle accumulation, helping readers form their own understanding.

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About the author

Chen Menglei Author · China · 1651–1741

Chen Menglei (1651–1741), courtesy names Zizhen and Shengzhai, later styled the Old Man of Songhe, was a Qing dynasty scholar from Houguan, Fujian. He passed the imperial examination in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. After 1698, by imperial order, he tutored the third prince, Yinzhii, and took the opportunity to compile a vast classified encyclopedia, the Hui Bian, using the collection of the Xieyi Hall; the Kangxi Emperor later bestowed on it the title Gujin Tushu Jicheng. The library holds more than 410 of his works, mostly sections of the officialdom chapters of that encyclopedia, covering institutions such as the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Imperial Observatory, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, prefectural governors, the Transmission Office, and the Imperial Medical Academy. These works address ancient bureaucratic systems, ritual norms, and administrative practice. His compilations are distinguished by systematic classification and extensive citation, preserving a wealth of source materials for later generations; they are commonly categorized under culture and Eastern philosophy. As public information on his life is limited, this note confines itself to his known scholarly contributions.