Blood Gate

Chen MengleiJun 2024

2.8

Word count: 98K words
Chapters: 27

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are distinctive, and subjects such as religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers are profound and extensive. This series, "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional 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 subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Xunfang Yaji is included in the series "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts." It presents traditional texts in a form that preserves their original appearance and is suitable as an introductory read for understanding ancient literati gatherings and intellectual expression. The value of reading this book lies not in providing systematic knowledge in the modern sense, but in giving readers direct contact with the linguistic texture and aesthetic interest of traditional culture's original classics. Its contents carry the literary essence and intellectual character of the ancient sages; in its pages readers can appreciate the emotional modes, social etiquette, and value orientations of the ancients, and thereby cultivate their temperament. Editorially it emphasizes authenticity and avoids excessive popularizing rewriting, so it is better suited to readers willing to read slowly and ponder repeatedly. It is suggested to keep it on a desk or bedside table and read a small section each time, using annotations and reference works to understand wording, without striving for speed. For readers concerned with the transmission of Chinese-learning classics and with preserving the original appearance of traditional thought and culture, this is an anthology of documentary value and reading interest.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Ordinary readers with a strong interest in Chinese-learning classics and traditional culture who are willing to read original texts slowly
Middle-school and university students who need to build a feel for ancient literary language and broaden their reading
Primary- and secondary-school teachers engaged in teaching traditional culture who need materials preserving the original appearance of texts
Reference-book readers who like collecting the series "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts"

Not a good fit for

Beginning readers hoping for modern vernacular translations and detailed annotations
Readers of popular books seeking tight plotting and strong entertainment
Professional researchers needing a systematic academic research framework and specialized discussion

Reading tips

First read through the table of contents and preface to grasp the book's overall structure, then choose pieces according to interest
Prepare a dictionary of ancient Chinese or an annotated edition, and look up unfamiliar words and expressions as you go, taking notes
Read a small section each time and write two or three sentences of response; avoid trying to do too much too fast
Read alongside other classics in the same series to compare the language and intellectual character of different texts

版权信息
黄帝素问
灵枢经
伤寒论【汉张机】
中藏经【汉华佗】
千金方【唐孙思邈】
活人书【宋朱肱】
济生方【宋严用和】
河间六书【金刘完素】
东垣十书【元李杲】
平治会萃【元朱震亨】
证治要诀【明戴思恭】
牙宣【即齿衄】
医学纲目【明楼英】
医学入门【明李梴】
明医杂着【明王纶】
医宗必读【明李中梓】
证治准绳【明王肯堂】
医贯【明赵献可】
医门法律【清喻昌】
景岳全书【明张介宾】
石室秘箓【清陈士铎】
方
单方
针灸
导引
医案

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no foundation in classical Chinese?

Not very suitable for complete beginners. The book focuses on preserving the original appearance of the text, with relatively limited annotation and translation, so readers without a foundation in classical Chinese will find it difficult. It is advisable first to read introductory Chinese-learning works with detailed annotations, then return to this book, or to read with an ancient Chinese reference work at hand for constant consultation.

What are the features of the series "Essential Classics of Chinese Traditional Culture: Original Texts"?

The series aims to preserve and transmit traditional Chinese thought and culture, emphasizing the preservation of the original appearance of the books and avoiding excessive rewriting. Its contents cover religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, customs and local gazetteers, and so on; it suits readers who wish to encounter the original texts as they are.

How should one arrange the reading pace?

It is suggested to treat it as slow reading, taking just a small section a day. First understand the words, then grasp the general meaning of the passage, and finally appreciate the flow and thought. There is no need to plow straight through from beginning to end; you may skip-read according to interest, then go back and connect the parts to form an overall impression.

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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.