Daolin Temple

李建勋Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

3.5

Word count: 4K words
Chapters: 50

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Summary

One of the poems by the Tang dynasty poet Li Jianxun.

Editor's review

Li Jianxun was a poet of the late Tang and Five Dynasties periods, whose works are largely preserved in the Complete Tang Poems. This poem, Daolin Temple, takes a monastery as its subject and continues the Tang tradition of visiting temples, describing scenery, and expressing feelings on site. For general readers, its value lies not in plot or grand narrative but in its brief presentation of how Tang literati perceived and felt when encountering mountain forests and ancient temples—a concrete example for understanding the mountain-temple theme in Tang poetry. This book was printed and issued by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company and is a separately printed edition of a single poem; it is suitable as supplementary material for thematic reading of Tang poetry and for use in recitation, copying, and appreciation. When reading, consult the relevant volume of the Complete Tang Poems and the cultural background of Tang monasteries for comparison, and distinguish the original poem from the editorial notes; it should not be treated as a complete basis for studying Li Jianxun's life.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Tang poetry and the mountain-temple theme in Tang literature
Language learners who need short Tang poems for recitation
Enthusiasts of classical literature who collect printed editions of individual Tang poems

Not a good fit for

Researchers seeking a systematic understanding of Li Jianxun's life and complete works
Readers who prefer narrative works such as novels and essays

Reading tips

First read the poem through, marking unfamiliar characters and words and checking their pronunciation and meaning.
Read it alongside the relevant Li Jianxun volume in the Complete Tang Poems to identify textual differences.
After reading, briefly note the scenery and emotional threads in the poem to form personal appreciation notes.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
【明禁忌】苏拯
卷718_21【伤彩饰】苏拯
卷718_22【世迷】苏拯
卷718_23【鸱枭】苏拯
卷718_24【山中道者】苏拯
卷718_25【渔人】苏拯
卷718_26【闻猿】苏拯
卷718_27【经马嵬坡】苏拯
卷718_28【经鹤台】苏拯
卷718_29【寄远】苏拯
卷七百一十九
卷719_1【芭蕉（数岁时作，传于都下）】路德延
卷719_2【感旧诗】路德延
卷719_3【小儿诗】路德延
卷719_4【句】路德延
卷719_5【及第后呈朝中知己】李旭
卷719_6【题惠严寺】崔庸
卷719_7【经费拾遗旧隐】胡骈
卷719_8【失题】周祚
卷719_9【蛱蝶行】卢频
卷719_10【东西行】卢频
卷719_11【失题】卢频
卷719_12【晚泊汉江渡】刘畋
卷719_13【句】刘畋
卷七百二十
卷720_1【游洞庭湖】裴说
卷720_2【怀素台歌（一作题怀素台）】裴说
卷720_3【闻砧（一作寄边衣）】裴说
卷720_4【春早寄华下同人】裴说
卷720_5【赠衡山令】裴说
卷720_6【南中县令】裴说
卷720_7【寄曹松（一作洛中作）】裴说
卷720_8【赠宾贡】裴说
卷720_9【汉南邮亭】裴说
卷720_10【棋】裴说
卷720_11【夏日即事】裴说
卷720_12【送人宰邑】裴说
卷720_13【春暖送人下第】裴说
卷720_14【湖外送何崇入阁】裴说
卷720_15【送进士苏瞻乱后出家】裴说
卷720_16【秋日送河北从事】裴说
卷720_17【喜友人再面】裴说
卷720_18【对雪】裴说
卷720_19【冬日后作】裴说
卷720_20【冬日作】裴说
卷720_21【中秋月】裴说
卷720_22【塞上曲】裴说
卷720_23【终南山】裴说
卷720_24【访道士】裴说

FAQ

Does this book contain all of Li Jianxun's poems?

No. According to the source, this book is a separately printed edition of one of Li Jianxun's poems, Daolin Temple, not a complete collection of his works. To gain a comprehensive understanding of Li Jianxun's poems, consult the relevant volume of the Complete Tang Poems or a more complete edited collection.

Can I read this small book without any foundation in Tang poetry?

You can, but you will need annotations or reference works to overcome difficulties with characters and words. The poem involves monastery scenery and Tang literati conventions of expression; reading it together with a Tang poetry anthology or background material on monastery culture will give you a fuller experience.

Should I pay attention to textual edition issues when reading?

Yes. This book was printed and issued by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company and is a printed edition of a single poem, so its text may differ from what is recorded in the Complete Tang Poems. When quoting or researching, cite the source and check it against an authoritative comprehensive collection.

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About the author

李建勋 Author

Li Jianxun is an author whose basic information, including his courtesy name, native place, official career, and dates of birth and death, has not been clearly recorded. Publicly available materials are limited, so only a brief introduction can be given based on his surviving works and their common classification. Two of his works are collected here, namely "Daolin Temple" and "Two Poems on Spring Rain," both classified as ancient poetry, which suggests that his writing was mainly in traditional verse forms and dealt with temple scenery and spring rain. Judging from these titles, he was skilled at drawing on the natural and cultural sights around him for his poems; his style tends toward elegance and restraint, with attention to the creation of mood and the blending of scene and feeling, showing the typical character of ancient literati poetry that describes scenery and expresses personal sentiment. Because biographical material is scarce, his family background, circle of associates, and official career cannot yet be examined in detail, and the small number of works is insufficient to trace a complete course of composition, so his literary standing and influence await further documentary evidence. Readers may turn to the texts of "Daolin Temple" and "Two Poems on Spring Rain" to appreciate his descriptive technique and emotional expression, and may watch for further compilation and study of relevant materials.