The Imperial Commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety

李隆基Mar 2026

3.8

Word count: 8.4K words
Chapters: 21

Summary

The Imperial Commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety is a commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety written by Emperor Shizu of Qing, Fulin (the Shunzhi Emperor), in the thirteenth year of Shunzhi (1656), and printed by the Qing imperial household. The book uses Tang Xuanzong's commentary, the "Stone Terrace Classic of Filial Piety," as its base text, rejecting the Kong Anguo edition and Zhu Xi's Kanwu edition. It runs to about ten thousand characters, and its content is accessible yet profound, "so that the teachings of Confucius and Zengzi leave no meaning unilluminated, and no person unable to understand."

Editor's review

The Imperial Commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety is an annotated edition printed by the Qing imperial household in the thirteenth year of Shunzhi, using Tang Xuanzong's "Stone Terrace Classic of Filial Piety" commentary as its base text and running to about ten thousand characters. Its value is twofold: at the textual level, it rejects the Kong Anguo edition and Zhu Xi's Kanwu edition, choosing a specific lineage of commentary that can be compared by scholars of textual editions and classical scholarship; at the interpretive level, the commentary strives to be accessible yet profound, making the classic's meaning easier for ordinary readers to grasp. As an imperial commentary, it is both a work of classical scholarship and a primary source for observing early Qing cultural and educational orientations. Read it with a double eye: see how it explains the Classic of Filial Piety, and also why it explains it that way. It suits readers interested in the history of classical scholarship, Qing cultural education, or commentary formats, rather than beginners who simply want the original text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature and history specialists studying the history of classical scholarship and commentary formats
Scholarly readers interested in early Qing cultural and educational policy and imperial writings
Advanced readers who have read the original Classic of Filial Piety and want to understand differences among commentaries
Those interested in the relationship between Tang Xuanzong's commentary and the Qing imperial commentary

Not a good fit for

Beginners encountering the Classic of Filial Piety for the first time who need to read the original first
Casual readers wanting only vernacular translation with no interest in commentary editions
Readers expecting modern academic critical interpretation

Reading tips

Read the original Classic of Filial Piety first, then this commentary, to discern the commentary's choices and emphases regarding the classic's meaning.
Read alongside Tang Xuanzong's "Stone Terrace Classic of Filial Piety" commentary to observe where the Shunzhi commentary inherits and where it adjusts.
Place the commentary back in the early Qing cultural and educational context, noting the interpretive tendencies that its status as an imperial commentary brings.

版权信息
唐玄宗皇帝御制孝经序
御注孝经序
开宗明义章
天子章
诸侯章
卿大夫章
士章
庶人章
三才章
孝治章
圣治章
纪孝行章
五刑章
广要道章
广至德章
广扬名章
谏争章
应感章
事君章
丧亲章

FAQ

Who exactly is the author of this book?

According to the source material, it was written by Emperor Shizu of Qing, Fulin (the Shunzhi Emperor), in the thirteenth year of Shunzhi and printed by the Qing imperial household. Note that it is a commentary from a different era than Tang Xuanzong's "Stone Terrace Classic of Filial Piety"; the former uses the latter as its base text.

Why does it not adopt the Kong Anguo and Zhu Xi editions?

The source material shows that the book uses Tang Xuanzong's commentary as its base text and explicitly rejects the Kong Anguo edition and Zhu Xi's Kanwu edition. This choice itself reflects a particular commentarial stance, which readers can understand in the context of the history of classical scholarship.

Can I read this directly without having read the Classic of Filial Piety?

Not really recommended. This is a commentary work focused on interpretation rather than popularizing the original text. Read the eighteen chapters of the original Classic of Filial Piety first, then approach the commentary, so you can appreciate its choices and elaborations regarding the classic's meaning.

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About the author

李隆基 Author

Li Longji is Emperor Xuanzong of Tang, commonly known in later ages by his temple name. The available records do not give detailed personal information such as his birthplace or dates of birth and death, and public sources are limited, so no inferences are made here. Judging from the three works held in the collection—Commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety, Imperial Commentary on the Classic of Filial Piety, and An Outer Commentary on Emperor Xuanzong's Imperial Explication of the True Scripture of the Way and Its Virtue—his writings focus on annotation and interpretation of classics, involving the Classic of Filial Piety and the Daodejing. These texts engage with the classics from an imperial perspective; the language is solemn and concise, emphasizing the exposition of meaning and its connection with governance, and bearing a clear imperial character. Classified under Eastern philosophy, literary appreciation, and classic works, they are chiefly read from philosophical and classics-reading perspectives, reflecting the cultural tradition of rulers personally participating in the annotation of classics.