The Gate of Flesh

Chen MengleiJun 2024

2.0

Word count: 18K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive and literary. Early thought forms are distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military treatises, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, local customs and geography—all vast and profound. This "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the original appearance of the books, with the aim of preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. Reading the literary essence left by ancient sages cultivates character and imperceptibly introduces readers to the classics.

Editor's review

Rou Men is placed in the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, whose editorial approach is to preserve the original appearance of the books and gather traditional cultural material—religious theology, classical medical texts, ancient military treatises, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, local customs and geography—in one place. Its value lies in equally emphasizing "preserving the authentic" and "transmitting": rather than hastily rewriting the ancients in a modern framework, it lets readers encounter the language and classification of old texts directly. For readers new to Chinese classics, the book is more like an eclectic entry-point archive that quickly conveys the breadth of the traditional knowledge system; for those with some foundation, the original appearance offers a sense of editions and compilation. It should not be read as an authoritative definitive edition of any one subject, nor should one expect the rigor of modern scholarly annotation. It suits a "selective reading plus cross-reference" approach: start with a category you know, then gradually expand to adjacent fields, checking against reliable reference works and collated editions.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers seeking an initial overview of the categories of Chinese classics
Readers who prefer the original appearance of books and direct contact with old textual language
Teachers and self-learners needing leads to traditional cultural material
Readers interested in miscellany such as ancient thought and local customs and geography

Not a good fit for

Specialist researchers needing modern scholarly annotation and strict collated editions
Learners seeking systematic depth in a single subject
Readers who prefer plain-language rewrites or story-style presentations

Reading tips

First browse the contents and sample a passage from each category—religion, Chinese medicine, military strategy, the various schools, and so on.
Keep a reliable reference work on ancient Chinese at hand and look up unfamiliar terms as you go.
Treat the book as an index of leads; when a category interests you, find the corresponding collated edition for deeper study.
Do not attempt a full read-through; set one or two small topics each week and write brief summaries after reading.

版权信息
古今图书集成医部全录卷二百十二
古今图书集成医部全录卷二百十三

FAQ

Is this book a complete annotated edition of a single ancient text?

No. The information indicates it belongs to the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, which emphasizes preserving the original appearance of books and gathering multiple traditional cultural categories; it is more a comprehensive anthology or source compilation than a modern annotated edition of one ancient text.

Will this book be too difficult for someone with no background in Chinese classics?

There is a certain threshold, since preserving the original appearance means the language and format are quite classical. It is advisable to start with short, familiar categories, use reference works and reliable collated editions for comparison, and not force your way from the first page to the last.

The book includes Chinese medicine and feng shui content—can it serve as a practical guide?

It should not. The book's purpose is to preserve and transmit traditional thought and culture; the included material reflects ancient documents, not a practical manual tested by modern clinical or scientific standards. Read it as cultural material, and consult professionals for health matters.

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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.