The Small Calendar of Xia

《大戴禮記》Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

Rating 4.3

Word count: 3.3K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

The Da Dai Liji, also known as the Da Dai Li or the Da Dai Ji, is traditionally attributed to Dai De (known as Da Dai), a ritual scholar of the late Western Han. This attribution rests largely on a remark by Zheng Xuan in his Liu Yi Lun, quoted in Kong Yingda's preface to the Liji Zhengyi: "Dai De transmitted eighty-five chapters of the Ji, namely the Da Dai Li." Modern scholars, after close study, have overturned the traditional view and concluded that the work was compiled in the mid-Eastern Han. It was most likely a compendium of reference materials assembled by Dai De's later followers for the study and transmission of the Shi Li (the precursor of the present Yili).

Editor's review

Xia Xiao Zheng is a chapter in the Da Dai Liji that describes seasonal phenomena and political affairs. It is brief, yet it touches on farming, the calendar, sacrifices, and the observation of natural phenomena. Drawing on the relevant text of the Da Dai Liji, this book presents this early monthly-ordinance literature as it stands. Its value lies in showing how the ancients systematically organized the rhythm of the year: which phenomena to observe in which season, which farm work to undertake, which rituals to perform. The language is plain and the information dense. For readers studying pre-Qin and Han ritual systems, the monthly-ordinance tradition, or the agricultural calendar, it is an indispensable text; for general readers, it serves as an accessible entry point into traditional conceptions of time. Note that the book involves calendrical, nomenclature, and institutional matters, so annotation and background knowledge are essential; the original text is difficult to read on its own. Reading it alongside the "Yue Ling" chapter of the Liji and the twelve annals of the Lüshi Chunqiu is recommended to see its origins and divergences.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of pre-Qin and Han ritual systems, monthly ordinances, and agriculture who need to consult early seasonal texts
Enthusiasts of ancient calendars, phenology, and agricultural history who want to understand traditional time arrangements
Students of Chinese and history using it as reading material for chapters of the Da Dai Liji
Readers of traditional culture interested in the monthly-ordinance genre and seasonal concepts

Not a good fit for

General leisure readers expecting narrative or entertaining history
Beginners without Classical Chinese who are unwilling to consult annotations on names and institutions
Readers seeking only modern wellness or seasonal-folk-custom practical guides

Reading tips

Begin with a modern scholarly introduction or explanatory note on Xia Xiao Zheng to grasp the nature of the text and the scholarly debates.
Go through the original text and annotations month by month, extracting phenological, agricultural, and political information into a simple table.
Read against the "Yue Ling" chapter of the Liji and the twelve annals of the Lüshi Chunqiu, comparing similarities and differences in seasonal records.
Consult reference works or annotated editions for terms on names, objects, and calendrics; do not substitute modern common sense directly.

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
夏小正第四十七

FAQ

What is the relationship between Xia Xiao Zheng and the Da Dai Liji?

Xia Xiao Zheng is a chapter of the Da Dai Liji and belongs to the monthly-ordinance literature describing seasonal phenomena and political affairs. This book presents the chapter based on the Da Dai Liji text. To understand its nature, it should be seen against the background of the Da Dai Liji as a compendium of ritual-studies reference materials, not as an independently compiled agricultural manual.

Is this book suitable for readers with no background?

Not really for complete beginners. The original text is terse and archaic, involving calendrics, phenological nomenclature, and ritual institutions; without annotations and background knowledge it is hard to read through. If interested, first read a reliable modern annotated translation or related introduction, then return to the original; otherwise it is easy to give up halfway.

Why read Xia Xiao Zheng alongside the "Yue Ling" chapter of the Liji?

Both belong to the monthly-ordinance tradition, but they differ in date, format, and level of detail. Reading them together reveals inheritances and changes in seasonal records and helps identify which phenological and agricultural arrangements are peculiar to the early text. Read alone, Xia Xiao Zheng is easily understood in isolation; only by comparison can its origins be seen.

What use is this book for studying agricultural history?

Xia Xiao Zheng records phenology and farming month by month and is an important text for understanding early conceptions of the agricultural calendar. Researchers can extract phenological indicators, farming milestones, and political arrangements, but should note that it is not a modern agricultural manual: its records are brief and calendrical interpretation is disputed, so it is best used alongside archaeological and agricultural-history research.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

《大戴禮記》 Author

The Da Dai Liji is not the work of a single author but the title of a compilation of ritual-learning texts assembled by the Han scholar Dai De, and later generations generally treat it as a single classic. Public information about Dai De himself is limited: his dates, nationality, and scholarly lineage are unknown. Six related works are held here, with representative chapters such as Wei Jiangjun Wenzi, Xia Xiaozheng, Qiancheng, and Shaojian, covering ancient ritual institutions, seasonal phenomena, and the words and deeds of historical figures; they combine the qualities of a classic, documentary writing, and Eastern philosophy. The style is plain and archaic, consisting mainly of records and discussion, often conveying ethical and political ideas through specific ceremonies and historical anecdotes. Xia Xiaozheng is especially known for its month-by-month records of seasonal phenomena and farming, making it important material for the study of early calendars and daily life. The book holds considerable documentary value in the transmission of ritual learning and provides precious texts for understanding ritual institutions and thought from the pre-Qin to early Han periods, while also being read as literature.