Frost cover

Frost

Rating 2.8
Word count
3.9K words
Chapters
48

Tags

Summary

Frost is congealed dew. The vital fluids of the earth rise from the ground; pressed by cold air, they freeze into frost.

Editor's review

This is a short booklet titled "Frost." Its main text begins with the ancient definition "Frost is congealed dew" and discusses how frost forms: the vital fluids of the earth, constrained by cold air, condense into frost. The writing is spare and clean, in the manner of traditional miscellaneous notes on things and glossarial explanation; it emphasizes the analysis of concepts and the recognition of natural phenomena rather than expansive lyricism. Its value lies in restoring a common meteorological phenomenon to the context of ancient knowledge, letting readers see how the ancients used ideas of yin and yang, cold air, and vital fluids to explain seasonal changes, while preserving the cultural weight of "frost" in the solar terms, farming, and everyday experience. Brief in length, it suits readers as an introduction to classical views of nature, or for reading alongside texts such as the "Monthly Ordinances" and "Essential Techniques for the Common People." When reading, one need not look for plot; rather, attend to its manner of definition and rhythm of language, and sense the ancients' careful observation and generalization of natural phenomena in these short chapters.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • General readers interested in ancient phenology and views of nature
  • Students hoping to build experience in reading classical Chinese through short ancient texts
  • Teachers and writers who need material on traditional culture such as solar terms and Frost's Descent

Not a good fit for

  • Readers expecting a complete story or character-driven plot
  • Readers seeking a systematic explanation from modern meteorology

Reading tips

  1. First read the whole text, marking key terms such as "dew," "cold air," and "vital fluids" to trace the ancients' chain of explanation.
  2. You may combine it with the Frost's Descent solar term or records of autumn and winter morning observations, comparing the text with actual seasonal phenomena as you read.
  3. If classical Chinese is difficult, read the explanations first and then return to the original to appreciate its concise manner of expression.

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.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 【读史】徐夤
  3. 卷710_8【汉宫新宠】徐夤
  4. 卷710_9【开元即事】徐夤
  5. 卷710_10【李翰林】徐夤
  6. 卷710_11【闻长安庚子岁事】徐夤
  7. 卷710_12【公子行】徐夤
  8. 卷710_13【依韵赠严司直】徐夤
  9. 卷710_14【伤前翰林杨左丞】徐夤
  10. 卷710_15【日月无情】徐夤
  11. 卷710_16【新月】徐夤
  12. 卷710_17【和尚书咏烟】徐夤
  13. 卷710_18【宫莺】徐夤
  14. 卷710_19【鬓发】徐夤
  15. 卷710_20【春入鲤湖】徐夤
  16. 卷710_21【双鹭】徐夤
  17. 卷710_22【鹧鸪】徐夤
  18. 卷710_23【鹰】徐夤
  19. 卷710_24【蝴蝶二首】徐夤
  20. 卷710_25【郡侯坐上观琉璃瓶中游鱼】徐夤
  21. 卷710_26【剪刀】徐夤
  22. 卷710_27【纸被】徐夤
  23. 卷710_28【纸帐】徐夤
  24. 卷710_29【贡馀秘色茶盏】徐夤
  25. 卷710_30【笋鞭】徐夤
  26. 卷710_31【咏帘】徐夤
  27. 卷710_32【咏灯】徐夤
  28. 卷710_33【咏扇】徐夤
  29. 卷710_34【咏笔二首】徐夤
  30. 卷710_35【咏钱】徐夤
  31. 卷710_36【尚书筵中咏红手帕】徐夤
  32. 卷710_37【尚书新造花笺】徐夤
  33. 卷710_38【钓车】徐夤
  34. 卷710_39【柳】徐夤
  35. 卷710_40【愁】徐夤
  36. 卷710_41【草】徐夤
  37. 卷710_42【萤】徐夤
  38. 卷710_43【水】徐夤
  39. 卷710_44【苔】徐夤
  40. 卷710_45【晓】徐夤
  41. 卷710_46【别】徐夤
  42. 卷710_47【夜】徐夤
  43. 卷710_48【雨】徐夤
  44. 卷710_49【萍】徐夤
  45. 卷710_50【恨】徐夤
  46. 卷710_51【鸿】徐夤
  47. 卷710_52【鹤】徐夤
  48. 卷710_53【鹊】徐夤

FAQ

Is this book about meteorological science?
It is not a work of modern meteorology. It explains the cause of frost according to ancient ideas such as "frost is congealed dew"; it belongs to traditional natural knowledge and glossarial writing, suited to understanding ancient views of seasonal phenomena rather than obtaining modern scientific conclusions.
Can I read it without a foundation in classical Chinese?
Yes. The text is very short, the sentences are simple, and the core concepts recur. It is advisable first to use annotations or reference books to clarify words such as "vital fluids" and "pressed," then read the original through; the threshold is not high.
Is it suitable for children?
It can serve as traditional-culture material for parent-child reading, but an adult should first explain ancient ideas such as "earth vital fluids" and "cold air" and note that these differ from modern scientific explanations, so that children do not confuse the two.

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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.

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