The Announcement of King Kang cover

The Announcement of King Kang

Rating 4.1
Word count
437 words
Chapters
2

Tags

Summary

"The Announcement to the Prince of Kang" comes from the Zhou Documents in the Book of Documents. After King Kang ascended the throne as Son of Heaven, he announced to the feudal lords and composed "The Announcement to the Prince of Kang."

Editor's review

"The Announcement to the Prince of Kang" comes from the "Zhou Documents" section of the Book of Documents and records the matter of King Kang announcing to the feudal lords after his accession, belonging to the typical genre of ruler-minister admonitions. The language is simple and archaic, and the piece is not long, yet it preserves a firsthand expression of early Zhou political operation and ritual order. For today's readers, its value lies not in narrative but in direct contact with the linguistic texture and political ethics of an early classic: how a new ruler establishes authority, how the feudal lords respond, and how the announcement is worded are all reflected in the brief text. Bashu Publishing House issues it as a single piece, making it convenient for focused study and suitable as introductory material for selected readings from the Book of Documents. It should be noted that such texts are very distant in time, and both wording and institutional background require annotations for smooth understanding; it is not to be treated as light reading. It suits readers willing to read slowly and consult reference works, advancing sentence by sentence with commentaries for more solid gains.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Readers of classical texts interested in the Book of Documents and early Zhou history
  • Teachers and students who need single-piece materials for close reading practice in classical Chinese
  • Beginning learners studying early admonition genres and political ethics

Not a good fit for

  • Readers who prefer vernacular stories and seek a light reading experience
  • Those lacking a foundation in classical Chinese who are unwilling to use annotated reference works

Reading tips

  1. First read through with annotations, marking unfamiliar words and phrases, then review sentence by sentence.
  2. Read by matching the addressees of the announcement with its wording, noting the positional relationship between the new ruler and the feudal lords.
  3. Read selected other pieces from the "Zhou Documents" of the Book of Documents to sense the consistent style of the admonition genre.

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.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 周书·康王之诰第二十五

FAQ

What is "The Announcement to the Prince of Kang" mainly about?
According to the source material, this piece records the matter of King Kang announcing to the feudal lords after ascending the throne as Son of Heaven. The text belongs to the admonition category of the "Zhou Documents" in the Book of Documents, focusing on the proclamation to the feudal lords at the time of accession and the affirmation of ruler-minister order; the specific wording requires close reading with annotations.
Can someone without a foundation in classical Chinese read this book?
It is possible to attempt, but one needs annotations and reference works to advance sentence by sentence, and should not rush. This book is issued as a single piece with limited length, making it precisely suitable as starting material for close reading in classical Chinese; readers should be prepared to review repeatedly and verify wording.
What background knowledge should one have before reading this piece?
It is best first to have a general understanding of the nature of the Book of Documents and of early Zhou enfeoffment and ruler-minister ritual order before entering the text. Readers may first look at the preface or related introduction to know the general format of the admonition genre and understand the scene of King Kang's accession announcement to the feudal lords, which will make reading much smoother.

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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.

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