Dragon Secret Teachings

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.0

Word count: 5.1K words
Chapters: 2

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Summary

Taigong Wang. One of the "Six Secret Teachings" on military strategy. By extension, military strategy and statecraft.

Editor's review

"Dragon Secret Teachings" (Longtao) is one chapter of the Six Secret Teachings (Liutao), traditionally attributed to Taigong Wang. Its content centers on military strategy and statecraft and belongs to the more systematic strands of pre-Qin military thought. This 2024 edition from Bashu Publishing House offers readers a convenient modern collated text. Its value lies not in novel arguments but in presenting the classic early military writings on command character, operational planning, and army organization—primary material for understanding traditional Chinese strategic thinking. The discussions mostly proceed from practical combat situations, and the language is concise; it is well suited to be read alongside Sunzi's Art of War and other military texts to observe similarities and differences in concepts and emphasis. Readers should note that the date and authorship of the Six Secret Teachings remain debated in scholarship, so the traditional attribution to Taigong Wang should not be taken as confirmed; moreover, the content reflects a particular historical context, and readers may combine it with pre-Qin history to understand its setting rather than applying it out of context.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in ancient Chinese military thought and the Six Secret Teachings
Students of literature and history who need to study pre-Qin military texts
General readers who enjoy reading military texts alongside historical cases

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting direct applications to modern management or business competition
Readers who want only vernacular stories and are unwilling to engage with classical Chinese texts

Reading tips

Read the other chapters of the Six Secret Teachings first, then place "Dragon Secret Teachings" within the structure of the whole book.
Compare thematic passages with corresponding sections of Sunzi's Art of War and note similarities and differences in concepts.
Read alongside pre-Qin battle cases to restore abstract principles to specific historical situations.
Stay attentive to the question of traditional authorship and consult discussions of the text's dating.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
龙韬

FAQ

Is "Dragon Secret Teachings" a standalone work or a chapter of the Six Secret Teachings?

It is a chapter of the Six Secret Teachings, not a standalone work. It is traditionally attributed to Taigong Wang, but the dating and authorship of the Six Secret Teachings are debated in scholarship; readers should understand it within the broader context of pre-Qin military literature.

Does reading this book require a foundation in classical Chinese?

Some ability to read classical Chinese is required. This is a traditional military text; the language is concise but retains classical expression. If your classical Chinese is weak, you may first use annotated editions or consult related translations and notes, then return to the original for close reading.

How does it differ from Sunzi's Art of War?

Both belong to the pre-Qin military tradition but differ in emphasis. Sunzi's Art of War focuses more on strategic principles and the philosophy of warfare, while the Six Secret Teachings covers a broader range, including command, organization, and tactics. "Dragon Secret Teachings" may be seen as the part discussing military strategy; reading them together reveals differences in concepts and concerns.

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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.