The Eye Gate

Chen MengleiJun 2024

3.3

Word count: 163K words
Chapters: 14

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive and literary. Early thought forms have distinctive features: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all profound and extensive. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Culture: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their temperament and imperceptibly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

The author of Mumeng is attributed to Chen Menglei. It is included in the series "Essential Classics of Chinese Culture: Original Texts" and is presented in a way that preserves the original appearance of the book; it is a popular edition for transmitting traditional thought and culture. Judging from the title and author information, the book has the character of an edition of an ancient text, and its reading value lies in giving readers direct access to the original face of the traditional text and in allowing them to feel the modes of expression and lines of thought of the ancients in a particular field of knowledge. The series covers a wide range of content, including religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, and historical and geographical works, and this book is suitable as an entry point for understanding the forms of traditional texts. Because the materials do not provide more specific chapter content, readers should approach it with an open mind and grasp its documentary and cultural value rather than assume that it is a popular introductory work. It is advisable to read it alongside relevant background materials, and it is especially suitable for readers with a sustained interest in the original appearance of ancient books and traditional culture.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the original appearance of traditional texts
Readers with a foundation in classical Chinese who are willing to read old books slowly
Readers concerned with the transmission and editing of classics of Chinese learning
Students of literature and history who need to consult traditional documentary materials

Not a good fit for

Beginners who want vernacular explanations or a popular introduction
Readers who need modern scholarly annotation and detailed guidance
Casual readers who prefer light, story-driven reading

Reading tips

First learn the basic background of the author Chen Menglei and the field of knowledge to which the book belongs, then begin the main text.
Prepare reference works or relevant research materials, and check unfamiliar terms promptly.
Read section by section, and briefly note the main points after each section; avoid rushing for quantity.
Compare it with other texts in the same series to appreciate the characteristics of the traditional original arrangement and expression.

版权信息
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百三十八
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百三十九
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十一
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十二
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十三
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十四
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十五
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十六
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十七
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十八
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百四十九
古今图书集成医部全录卷一百五十

FAQ

What is Mumeng mainly about?

According to the available materials, the book is attributed to Chen Menglei and is included in the series "Essential Classics of Chinese Culture: Original Texts," which focuses on preserving the original appearance of the books and transmitting traditional thought and culture. The materials do not provide more specific chapter content; readers may regard it as a presentation of the original face of a traditional text and understand it with the help of relevant background materials.

Can readers with no foundation in classical Chinese read this book?

The book preserves the original appearance of the text, and its language and format have the characteristics of ancient books, so readers with no foundation in classical Chinese at all will find it difficult. It is advisable first to have basic classical Chinese reading ability, or to use it together with reference works and relevant explanatory materials; it should not be used as a first book for beginning classical Chinese.

Is this series suitable for academic citation?

The series is positioned as preserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture and preserving the original appearance of the books; it is not distinguished by modern academic collation and annotation. If it is used for academic citation, the source of the edition should be verified and authoritative critical editions or research materials consulted; it should not be relied on as the sole basis.

Related on WeRead

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

Chen Menglei Author · China · 1651–1741

Chen Menglei (1651–1741), courtesy names Zizhen and Shengzhai, later styled the Old Man of Songhe, was a Qing dynasty scholar from Houguan, Fujian. He passed the imperial examination in the ninth year of the Kangxi reign and was appointed to the Hanlin Academy as a compiler. After 1698, by imperial order, he tutored the third prince, Yinzhii, and took the opportunity to compile a vast classified encyclopedia, the Hui Bian, using the collection of the Xieyi Hall; the Kangxi Emperor later bestowed on it the title Gujin Tushu Jicheng. The library holds more than 410 of his works, mostly sections of the officialdom chapters of that encyclopedia, covering institutions such as the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, the Imperial Observatory, the Ministry of Personnel, the Ministry of Rites, prefectural governors, the Transmission Office, and the Imperial Medical Academy. These works address ancient bureaucratic systems, ritual norms, and administrative practice. His compilations are distinguished by systematic classification and extensive citation, preserving a wealth of source materials for later generations; they are commonly categorized under culture and Eastern philosophy. As public information on his life is limited, this note confines itself to his known scholarly contributions.