Wind Gate

Chen MengleiJun 2024

3.3

Word count: 120K words
Chapters: 44

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought has a long history and is highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are distinctive: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers, and more—all profound and extensive. This "Essentials of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books and focuses on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate character and quietly absorb the classics.

Editor's review

This book belongs to the "Essentials of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series. Its purpose is to preserve and transmit traditional Chinese thought and culture, retaining the appearance of the original books. It covers a broad range of content: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist, and Hundred Schools thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers. Its value lies not in new interpretations or introductions but in presenting early intellectual forms in their original state, letting readers encounter directly the literary and intellectual essence left by ancient sages. The content spans many fields and categories, making it suitable as a desk reference of original classics for browsing and savoring at any time. Read with questions in mind, select the relevant categories, and use annotations and reference works to understand the text, quietly appreciating the originality and inventiveness of traditional culture. For readers who want to systematically build up common knowledge of Chinese classics and cultivate character, this is a foundational work to keep for the long term and revisit.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers who want systematic contact with original Chinese classics and to build common knowledge of traditional culture
Teachers and writers who need a desk reference of Chinese classics for browsing and checking
Enthusiasts with broad interests in ancient thought, customs, local gazetteers, and metaphysics
Self-learners willing to read slowly and savor the classics to cultivate character

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting modern vernacular translation and entry-by-entry introductions
Specialists who want in-depth research on a single topic
Readers who prefer light entertainment and plot-driven reading

Reading tips

First browse the contents, mark the sections that interest you most—religion, military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, and so on—and proceed in blocks.
Prepare a dictionary of common Classical Chinese characters and look up rare words as you go; do not rush.
Read only a small passage at a time, then restate the key points in your own words to help digest the original.
Read alongside other original texts in the same series to compare connections and differences among the various fields.

版权信息
风门
生气通天论
阴阳别论
移精变气论
玉版论要篇
风论
灵枢经
五变篇
五色篇
论勇篇
百病始生篇
论疾诊尺篇
刺节真邪篇
岁露论
金匮要略【汉张机】
中藏经【汉华佗】
千金方【唐孙思邈】
济生方【宋严用和】
河间六书【金刘完泰】
儒门事亲【元张从政】
东垣十书【元李杲】
溯洄集【元王履】
卫生宝鉴【元罗天益】
医学正传【明虞抟】
证治要诀【明戴思恭】
医学纲目【明楼英】
明医杂着【明王纶】
奇效良方【明方贤】
医宗必读【明李中梓】
医学准绳六要【明张三锡】
薛己医案【明薛己】
证治准绳【明王肯堂】
医贯【明赵献可】
医门法律【清喻昌】
医方考【明吴昆】
景岳全书【明张介宾】
方
方二
方三
单方
针灸
导引
医案

FAQ

Is this book a vernacular translation or the original text?

According to the description, the series focuses on preserving the appearance of the original books and on conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture; it is not centered on modern vernacular rewriting. Use reference works to understand the text and treat it as an original-text reader.

There are many categories—where should I start?

Look at the contents first and choose a category that interests you: religious theology, classical Chinese medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, or customs and local gazetteers. Finish one block before moving to the next; avoid trying to do too much.

Can I read it without a background in Chinese classics?

Yes, but be prepared to read slowly. The book preserves the original texts, so Classical Chinese poses some difficulty. Use dictionaries and basic readings on Chinese classics as support, and start with shorter passages with simpler vocabulary.

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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.