Yuan and Qian
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Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers of history and literature interested in Han thought and Yang Xiong's works
- Enthusiasts of Chinese learning who have read the Analects and wish to compare the formats of philosophical works
- Readers who need aphoristic passages on self-cultivation for daily reflection
Not a good fit for
- General leisure readers who prefer vernacular narrative and plot-driven writing
- Beginners without classical Chinese who are unwilling to use annotations
Reading tips
- Read the table of contents and preface first to understand the question-and-answer arrangement, then read in thematic groups.
- For each passage, read the original through once, look up unfamiliar words in the notes, then review the overall meaning.
- Keep a copy of the Analects at hand to compare formats and topics, annotating differences as you go.
About the publisher
Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 卷十一 渊骞
FAQ
Can I read Yuanqian without any foundation in classical Chinese?
What is the relationship between Yuanqian and the Analects?
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About the author
Yang Xiong was a prominent scholar and rhapsody writer of the Western Han dynasty. Publicly available information on his birth and death dates, native place, and early life is limited, and details of his biography often depend on later records. The library holds four of his works, spanning classics, Eastern philosophy, and social sciences, including the "Collected Masterpieces of the Four Great Han Rhapsody Writers," "Yuan Qian," and "Yangzi Fayan (unannotated edition)." Yang Xiong excelled in both rhapsody and philosophical writing: his fu compositions are grand in scope and finely elaborated, representing the typical style of the Han grand rhapsody, while works such as the Fayan emulate the classics to expound Confucian learning and the principles of human affairs in concise, severe prose, reflecting a turn from rhapsody toward scholarly reflection. His language is archaic and terse, fond of emulating antiquity yet forming a style of his own, and he influenced later literature and thought. Owing to limited historical sources, this introduction summarizes his creative profile based only on the library's holdings and commonly accepted knowledge, without speculating about his life.
