Establishing the Root

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaAug 2020

3.9

Word count: 5.1K words
Chapters: 6

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Summary

One refers to a term, and one refers to the historical woodblocks of Jianyang District, Nanping City, Fujian Province.

Editor's review

This book revolves around “Jianben,” a concept that is both a bibliographical term and a reference to the history of regional block printing. It helps readers understand the origins and development of the Jianyang printing tradition and can also serve as an introductory work for entering the field of rare-book editions. Its value lies in restoring “Jianben” from a single term to the historical context of the successive woodblocks of Jianyang, Nanping, Fujian, helping readers build an overall understanding of the relationship among editions, printing locations, and textual transmission. It need not be read quickly; readers can proceed chapter by chapter with book illustrations, catalogs, and annotations, and it is especially suitable for reference when consulting rare-book records or organizing local documents. For readers concerned with edition identification, the history of book collecting, and regional culture, the book provides relatively clear线索; for general readers, it can be treated as a window into traditional block-printing culture.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Teachers and students in rare-book organization and bibliographical studies
Readers interested in Fujian local documents and printing history
Book collectors and those engaged in antiquarian book identification
Readers in literature and history who need to understand the meaning of the term Jianben

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for popular stories or light essays
Beginners without basic knowledge of literature and history
People who want quick conclusions without consulting sources

Reading tips

Read the introduction or terminology notes first to clarify the two meanings of “Jianben” before entering the main text.
Take notes alongside the edition examples in the book, sorting out线索 by printing location and date.
Consult reference works when encountering bibliographical terms to avoid interpreting them literally.
Read alongside a history of Jianyang printing or a general introduction to bibliography to form a knowledge framework.

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
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五

FAQ

What does “Jianben” mainly refer to in this book?

According to the source, in this book “Jianben” refers, on the one hand, to a term and, on the other, to the successive woodblocks of Jianyang District, Nanping City, Fujian Province. Readers can understand it as a regional concept involving both a bibliographical term and the Jianyang printing tradition.

Can I read this book without a background in bibliography?

You can try, but you will need to fill in basic terminology as you read. The book revolves around Jianben and Jianyang woodblocks; if you are completely unfamiliar with rare-book bibliographical knowledge, understanding will be difficult, so it is advisable to first look through an introductory bibliography reference work.

Is this book suitable for local-document research?

It is suitable as a source of线索. The book involves the successive woodblocks of Jianyang and has auxiliary value for research on Fujian local printing history, but researchers should still verify against original catalogs, book illustrations, and local gazetteers.

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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.