Preface

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.0

Word count: 232 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In ancient times there was another kind of preface consisting of farewell words, called a "presentation preface"; its content was mostly praise, esteem, or encouragement for the relatives and friends to whom it was given, making it a genre of farewell message.

Editor's review

This "preface" is not a book preface but an explanatory note on the ancient genre of the presentation preface, identifying its nature as a farewell message: its content is mostly praise, esteem, or encouragement for relatives and friends. In just a few words it sets out the function, audience, and emotional tone of a genre, giving it the value of a miniature history of the form. For general readers it helps distinguish the several meanings of "preface" and avoid confusing the presentation preface with the book preface; for students of ancient genres it offers a concise definitional framework that makes it easier to look up and read specific presentation prefaces. The 2024 Bashu Publishing House edition includes it in the volume, and it serves well as supplementary material on ancient genre knowledge. When reading, one may pair it with famous presentation prefaces by masters such as Han Yu to see how "farewell words" rose from occasional writing to prose full of feeling and thought, and thereby understand the evolution and appeal of this genre.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Middle school and university students learning about ancient genres
Chinese teachers who need to quickly distinguish book prefaces from presentation prefaces
General readers interested in ancient farewell culture
Readers preparing to read famous presentation prefaces who need genre background

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for a detailed anthology and appreciation of presentation prefaces
Scholars seeking in-depth literary theory or genre studies
Casual readers expecting a complete story or character plot

Reading tips

First remember the three keywords of the presentation preface—farewell, gift of words, encouragement—then find specific works to verify them.
Read it alongside book prefaces and draw a simple table distinguishing the two in audience, content, and position.
Read one famous presentation preface by Han Yu or Liu Zongyuan to feel the literary grace and emotion beyond the definition.
After reading, restate the definition in your own words and check whether it accurately covers praise, esteem, and encouragement.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
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FAQ

What is the difference between a presentation preface and a book preface?

A book preface is usually placed before a book and explains why it was written, its content, or its structure; a presentation preface is given to relatives or friends at parting and consists mainly of praise, esteem, and encouragement, making it a farewell genre. The two differ clearly in audience and function.

Is a presentation preface always given in person at parting?

The source describes it as a genre in the nature of farewell words, emphasizing its content of parting and encouragement. The specific manner of presentation varied with period and occasion; readers should examine particular works rather than generalize.

Is this explanatory note enough on its own?

This note is suitable for establishing the basic concept, but the richness of the presentation preface must be felt through specific works. Use the definition as a clue, read one or two famous presentation prefaces, then return to the note for a fuller understanding.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.