Hidden Jia

AnonymousNanhai Publication Company · ChinaJul 2024

2.3

Word count: 7.2K words
Chapters: 2

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Summary

Editor's review

Dunjia is published anonymously by Nanhai Publishing House in 2024 and, to judge by its title, is an edited edition of a traditional occult-calculation text. The value of such a text lies not in plot or literary polish but in the fact that it preserves an ancient framework of knowledge for reckoning auspicious and inauspicious times and spaces through the heavenly stems and earthly branches and the nine palaces—primary material for studying traditional occult culture, folk psychology, and textual transmission. When reading such a book, what matters is to understand it within its historical and cultural context, not to treat it as a workable tool of prediction. It suits readers interested in traditional occult and esoteric texts as material to browse, and cultural researchers discussing folk belief as a reference. Since it is anonymously attributed and its actual date of composition and editorial history must be checked against the physical book, readers should remain cautious, attend to the text's structure and terminology, and read it as cultural-historical material rather than a manual of certain answers.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in traditional occult texts and esoteric culture
Cultural researchers studying folk belief and folk knowledge
Collectors and browsers of ancient anonymous texts
Readers who want to know the origin and basic framework of the term dunjia

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking practical methods of prediction or operating instructions
General readers who prefer literary narrative and plot
Those averse to occult content who read only for entertainment

Reading tips

Read the preface or editorial note first to learn the source text and editorial principles before the main text.
Keep pen and paper to record recurring terms and the correspondences among directions, stems and branches.
Read it as cultural-historical material, attending to its structure of knowledge rather than testing predictions.
Consult reference works or related scholarship for difficult terms; there is no need to read every page.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
遁甲

FAQ

What does dunjia generally refer to?

Dunjia usually means qimen dunjia, a system of traditional occult calculation centered on the stem jia and combining the nine palaces, eight gates, nine stars, and other elements to lay out spatial and temporal patterns for judging human affairs. It belongs to ancient esoteric culture and historically overlapped with military knowledge, date selection, and feng shui. It should be understood within the lineage of traditional occult and folk culture, not as a modern scientific method.

What should I watch for when reading an anonymously attributed book?

Anonymous means the author is unknown, and the date and textual source often have to be judged from prefaces, postscripts, edition features, or editorial notes. Begin with the publisher's editorial note to learn about the source text and collation; keep a historical understanding of the content and do not readily believe it was written by a famous figure. Attending to the text's own structure and terminology yields more than pursuing the author's identity.

Can I read this book without knowing occult terminology?

You can, with patience. Occult texts are dense with terms; beginners may skip the detailed calculations at first and start from the overall structure, learning how many parts the book has and what each discusses. For recurring core terms, looking them up a few times builds a basic impression. If your goal is deeper study, read alongside reference works and academic studies.

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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.