The Canon of Shun
Tags
Summary
Editor's review
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Enthusiasts of traditional culture who want to understand the Book of Documents but are deterred by the length of the full work
- Students and teachers studying ancient Chinese history or intellectual history
- Readers interested in the Confucian political ideal and the concept of virtuous rule
- Book club members who need chapter-by-chapter close-reading material for organized classics reading
Not a good fit for
- Professional researchers expecting full annotation and translation of the entire Book of Documents
- Casual readers who prefer light, story-driven history books
- Beginners lacking the basic patience for classical Chinese and ancient historical sources
Reading tips
- First read the vernacular translation to grasp the general meaning, then read the original passage by passage, marking archaic expressions you do not understand.
- Focus on the records of Shun's words, deeds, and government affairs, and sort out the concept of virtuous rule they embody.
- Read alongside relevant chapters on ancient history to understand the historical background of the text.
- After finishing, retell in your own words the main events of The Canon of Shun to test your understanding.
About the publisher
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.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 虞书·舜典第二
FAQ
What is the relationship between The Canon of Shun and the Book of Documents?
What background knowledge is needed before reading The Canon of Shun?
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About the 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.
