The Announcement of Kang
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Student readers studying pre-Qin history and ancient political thought
- Beginners studying the original texts of the Book of Documents and Confucian classics
- Readers interested in early Chinese governing ideas and the thought of rule by virtue
- Researchers who need to consult early Western Zhou announcement documents
Not a good fit for
- General readers expecting light, story-driven reading
- Readers without a foundation in classical Chinese who are unwilling to use annotations
- Those who only want an overview of Western Zhou history and do not wish to read original texts
Reading tips
- First read the vernacular translation or introductory remarks in an annotated edition to grasp the background of the announcement, then return to read the original paragraph by paragraph.
- While reading, mark key terms such as "illuminating virtue and being cautious in punishment" and "revering Heaven and protecting the people," and sort out the text's governing propositions.
- Read alongside related historical accounts of early Western Zhou enfeoffment and policies toward Shang remnants for comparative understanding.
- The piece is not long; it is advisable to finish it in two or three sessions, restating the gist of one paragraph in one's own words after each session.
About the publisher
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
- 版权信息
- 正文一
- 正文二
- 正文三
- 正文四
- 正文五
FAQ
What does "Kang" in "The Announcement to Kang" refer to?
Does one need to read other pieces of the Book of Documents before reading "The Announcement to Kang"?
What is the core thought of this text?
Comments
Find this book
This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.
About the 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.
