Section on Teeth

Chen MengleiJun 2024

2.0

Word count: 33K words
Chapters: 10

Summary

Chinese traditional culture has a long intellectual history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness and literary quality. Early forms of thought are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers—these subjects are vast and profound. This "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series preserves the appearance of the original books, with the aim of conserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers cultivate their character and quietly absorb the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

This book belongs to the "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series and presents traditional thought in a form that preserves the appearance of the original books. It is suitable as an introductory reader for those approaching the primary texts of ancient thought. Its value lies not in offering modern annotation or popular paraphrase, but in letting readers come directly face to face with the tone, structure and problematic concerns of the ancients' speech, and experience the weight of the classics undiluted. Reading requires a slower pace; with the aid of reference works and annotated editions, readers can gradually enter the texture of the text. For readers who wish to gain a systematic understanding of the forms of traditional Chinese thought—religious theology, classical medical texts, ancient military strategy, Confucian, Daoist, Buddhist and Hundred Schools thought—this book can serve as one starting point for reading the series. It is better suited to readers with some grounding in classical Chinese who are willing to chew over the original text patiently, rather than to those seeking light stories or quick conclusions. Reading it alongside comparable primary texts is recommended, to provide cross-reference and avoid isolated interpretation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a systematic interest in traditional Chinese thought who are willing to begin with primary texts
Readers with basic classical Chinese reading ability who wish to read while preserving the original books' appearance
Readers who need to look up线索 in traditional thought texts for research or writing
Readers who enjoy slow, annotative reading and are willing to use reference works to understand the text

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking vernacular translations or popular stories and a light reading experience
Those with weak classical Chinese grounding who are unwilling to use annotations and reference works
Readers expecting modern scholarly interpretation or a systematic theoretical framework

Reading tips

First read through the table of contents and editorial notes to understand how this series preserves the original books' appearance, then decide which pieces to read closely or selectively.
Prepare a dictionary of common classical Chinese characters and a corresponding annotated edition; mark difficult words and phrases first, and look them up together after finishing a passage.
Keep each reading session to a small amount of text, and afterward restate the main points in your own words, avoiding speed at the expense of understanding.
Read alongside comparable primary texts of Chinese learning, noting differences in how different texts express the same issue, and form a cross-referential reading practice.

版权信息
齿门
黄帝素问上古天真论
灵枢经
古今医鉴【明龚信】
齿门方
齿门单方
针灸
导引
医案

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no classical Chinese background at all?

Not very. The book focuses on preserving the original books' appearance and does not provide line-by-line vernacular translation, so readers with weak classical Chinese are likely to struggle at the word and sentence level. If you still wish to try, prepare a classical Chinese dictionary and a reliable annotated edition, and start with short pieces or familiar content rather than reading the whole book from the beginning.

How is this series different from common books that interpret Chinese classics?

The difference lies in orientation. This book belongs to the "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, which emphasizes preserving the original books' appearance and focuses on conserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture rather than offering a popular paraphrase in modern language. Readers face the tone and structure of the primary text itself, which requires more patience and auxiliary tools, and the reward leans toward direct contact with the text.

What types of content does the book include?

According to the source material, the series covers religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysical learning, the Twenty-Four Histories, customs and local gazetteers, and other content—a fairly broad range. For the specific contents of this book, the table of contents should be consulted; it is advisable to check it first before deciding on a reading order.

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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.