The King

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.0

Word count: 913 words
Chapters: 11

Summary

Wang is a Chinese character. It refers to a person who, by virtue of exceptionally high self-cultivation, wisdom, and ability, is acclaimed by all under heaven as the supreme leader, and is called a king (wang). Three horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke signify the connection of heaven, earth, and humanity. One who can bring people into harmony with heaven, earth, and nature is called a king.

Editor's review

This book centers on the Chinese character "wang" (king). Starting from the structure of the character, it explains the traditional idea that "three horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke" connect heaven, earth, and humanity, and then moves on to discuss the virtue and governing wisdom of a "king." It is not content with dictionary-style definition; rather, it combines philology with cultural concepts, letting readers see the value judgment behind a single Chinese character: a true "king" comes from cultivation, wisdom, and ability and is acclaimed by the people, not from mere power. The book's emphasis on the harmonious relationship between the "king" and nature also offers a simple reference for understanding leadership, responsibility, and order today. Concise in length, it is suitable as light reading for an introduction to Chinese character culture and as a starting point in classrooms and reading groups to spark discussion about "what makes a true leader." As you read, you may wish to draw on everyday experience and reflect on the gap between the ideal character embodied in the character "wang" and reality.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the origins and cultural connotations of Chinese characters
Readers who hope to understand traditional ideas of leadership through Chinese characters
Primary and secondary school language teachers looking for supplementary material on Chinese character culture
Reading group members in need of short, focused discussion texts

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic philological research or academic monographs
Readers hoping for stories and case studies of specific historical figures

Reading tips

First read the analysis of the character's structure, then take notes in connection with the line about "the connection of heaven, earth, and humanity" to sort out your own understanding.
It can be read alongside the relevant entry in the Shuowen Jiezi to appreciate differences in traditional explanations of character meaning.
After reading, discuss in a reading group: what qualities should a "king acclaimed by the people" have in modern society?

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
黍离
君子于役
君子阳阳
扬之水
中谷有蓷
兔爰
葛藟
采葛
大车
丘中有麻

FAQ

Is this book about historical figures?

No. This book takes the Chinese character "wang" as its subject and explains its structure and cultural meaning. It discusses the cultivation, wisdom, and governing ideals embodied in the concept of "wang" and does not narrate around any specific historical figure.

Can I understand it without a background in philology?

Yes. The book begins with the character structure of "three horizontal strokes and one vertical stroke" and uses plain language. It is popular cultural reading and does not require a professional philological background. If you wish to go deeper, you can consult reference works such as the Shuowen Jiezi.

Is it suitable for classroom use?

It is suitable as supplementary material for Chinese language or traditional culture classes. It is short and has a concrete entry point, so it can be used to introduce the topic of Chinese character culture or to organize students to discuss the values behind the character "wang."

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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.