The Shaman's Temple cover

The Shaman's Temple

Rating 2.9
Word count
3.7K words
Chapters
48

Tags

Summary

Wang Zhou was long mistaken for a Tang poet. The present text is based on the 1702 (Kangxi 41) facsimile of a Song edition published by Xi Qiyu at Qinchuan Shuwu, in the Complete Collection of One Hundred Tang Poets: The Poems of Wang Zhou, collated against Jiang Biao's facsimile of the Song Shupeng edition in Fifty Tang Poets: The Poems of Wang Zhou and against the Complete Tang Poems, with one poem added from the Supplement to the Complete Tang Poems.

Editor's review

This book is a reorganised and reprinted collection of poems by Wang Zhou, formerly attributed to the Tang dynasty. The editor first clarifies the long-standing misattribution of Wang Zhou as a Tang poet, then takes as the base text the 1702 (Kangxi 41) facsimile of a Song edition published by Xi Qiyu at Qinchuan Shuwu, in the Complete Collection of One Hundred Tang Poets: The Poems of Wang Zhou, collating it against Jiang Biao's facsimile of the Song Shupeng edition and the Complete Tang Poems, and adding one poem from the Supplement to the Complete Tang Poems; the textual lineage is clearly laid out. For scholars of Tang literature and textual scholarship, its value lies not in the brilliance of the poetry but in the case it makes: how a poet wrongly placed in the Tang entered the anthologies, and how later generations printed and retrospectively acknowledged him. Readers can observe the textual differences between Ming-Qing facsimiles of Song editions and the Complete Tang Poems system, as well as the practical path of gathering and supplementing lost works. The book is suitable as comparative material for textual collation, not as an introductory reader for general poetry appreciation. Readers should begin with the editorial notes, clarify the relationship between the base text and the collation texts, and then compare poem by poem to appreciate the editor's judgment in selecting variants.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Graduate students and teachers in Tang-Song literature and classical textual scholarship
  • Scholars concerned with the compilation and gathering of lost poems in the Complete Tang Poems
  • Editors engaged in the organisation of ancient books and textual collation
  • Collectors interested in the transmission of Ming-Qing facsimiles of Song editions

Not a good fit for

  • General literature lovers hoping to read famous Tang poems
  • Readers expecting systematic poet biographies and creative background
  • Readers seeking light entertainment who do not wish to engage with collation conventions

Reading tips

  1. First read the editorial notes and the sources of the base text, and clarify the relationship among the Xi edition, the Shupeng edition, and the Complete Tang Poems.
  2. Select several poems and read them against the Complete Tang Poems, noting variant readings and the reasons for the editor's choices.
  3. Mark the added poem separately, consider the basis and reliability of the supplementation, and then read it together with the whole collection.
  4. If citing for research, be sure to check the facsimile pages of the base text to avoid errors from secondary citation of collation notes.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 卷765_6【西塞山二首(今谓之道士矶,即兴国军大冶县所隶也)】王周
  3. 卷765_7【使风】王周
  4. 卷765_8【石首山】王周
  5. 卷765_9【金口步(在江北汉阳军,下必铁也)】王周
  6. 卷765_10【采桑女二首】王周
  7. 卷765_11【渡溪】王周
  8. 卷765_12【落叶】王周
  9. 卷765_13【宿疏陂驿】王周
  10. 卷765_14【再经秭归二首】王周
  11. 卷765_15【霞】王周
  12. 卷765_16【巫山公署壁有无名氏戏书二韵(施州路一百八盘)】王周
  13. 卷765_17【道院】王周
  14. 卷765_18【会哙岑山人(戊寅仲冬六日)】王周
  15. 卷765_19【巴江】王周
  16. 卷765_20【小园桃李始花,偶以成咏】王周
  17. 卷765_21【公居】王周
  18. 卷765_22【富池口】王周
  19. 卷765_23【夔州病中】王周
  20. 卷765_24【题厅壁】王周
  21. 卷765_25【过武宁县(九月十九日)】王周
  22. 卷765_26【路次覆盆驿】王周
  23. 卷765_27【藕池阻风,寄同行抚牧裘驾】王周
  24. 卷765_28【无题二首】王周
  25. 卷765_29【泊巴东】王周
  26. 卷765_30【道中未开木杏花】王周
  27. 卷765_31【西山晚景】王周
  28. 卷765_32【自和】王周
  29. 卷765_33【齿落词】王周
  30. 卷765_34【淘金碛】王周
  31. 卷765_35【施南路偶书】王周
  32. 卷765_36【大石岭驿梅花(己卯十一月十三日)】王周
  33. 卷765_37【赠怤师】王周
  34. 卷765_38【游仙都观】王周
  35. 卷765_39【志峡船具诗·梢】王周
  36. 卷765_40【志峡船具诗·橹】王周
  37. 卷765_41【志峡船具诗·戙】王周
  38. 卷765_42【志峡船具诗·百丈】王周
  39. 卷765_43【早春西园】王周
  40. 卷765_44【金盘草诗(生宁江巫山南陵林木中)】王周
  41. 卷765_45【和程刑部三首·公会亭】王周
  42. 卷765_46【和程刑部三首·碧鲜亭】王周
  43. 卷765_47【和程刑部三首·清涟閤】王周
  44. 卷765_48【自喻】王周
  45. 卷765_49【巫山庙】王周
  46. 卷765_50【下瞿塘寄时同年】王周
  47. 卷765_51【和杜运使巴峡地暖节物与中土异黯然有感诗三首】王周
  48. 卷765_52【施南太守以猿儿为寄作诗答之(得之黔中,生即头白)】王周

FAQ

Was Wang Zhou actually a Tang poet?
According to the editorial notes, Wang Zhou was long mistaken for a Tang poet, and this misplacement affected how later anthologies handled his period. The editor re-examines the textual sources of his poems precisely on the basis of this problem; readers should note the book's explanation and should not continue to call him a Tang poet based on the old view.
What are the base text and the collation texts of this book?
The base text is the 1702 (Kangxi 41) facsimile of a Song edition published by Xi Qiyu at Qinchuan Shuwu, in the Complete Collection of One Hundred Tang Poets: The Poems of Wang Zhou; the collation texts are Jiang Biao's facsimile of the Song Shupeng edition in Fifty Tang Poets: The Poems of Wang Zhou and the Complete Tang Poems, with one poem added from the Supplement to the Complete Tang Poems.
Can someone without experience in organising ancient books read this book?
Yes, but with some preparation. The book is primarily collation and lacks popular annotations and appreciation; beginners should first read the editorial notes to understand the base text, the collation texts, and the collation symbols, then read a small selection of poems in comparison, and need not insist on reading the whole collection.

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About the author

王周 Author

Wang Zhou is a Chinese author of classical poetry. His biographical details, such as his courtesy name, native place, dates of birth and death, and life experiences, are limited in publicly available sources and are difficult to verify at present. Two works are currently held in the collection, namely "Chun Da" (Spring Reply) and "Wu Miao" (The Shaman Temple), commonly classified as classical poetry. Judging from these two pieces, Wang Zhou's subjects involve poetic replies and inscriptions on temples; his language is concise, and he is skilled at using scenery and narrative to convey feelings, showing the understated quality typical of traditional literati poetry. "Chun Da" unfolds around the thread of reply, with gentle and subtle sentiments, while "Wu Miao" describes the space of a shrine, creating a secluded and solemn atmosphere. Although the two works are limited in length, they reveal his care and skill in writing regulated verse. Because few works by this author survive, his overall creative output, stylistic development, and literary influence are difficult to assess comprehensively and await further study as more documents and works come to light.

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