The Airs of Qin

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaApr 2020

4.4

Word count: 1K words
Chapters: 11

Summary

Qin Feng (Odes of Qin) is one of the fifteen Airs of the Guo Feng section of the Classic of Poetry, comprising ten pieces—folk songs of the Han people in the Qin region. Qin was originally a dependency of Zhou. King Xiao of Western Zhou enfeoffed his subject Feizi at Qin (the old Qin city in present-day Tianshui, Gansu), and the territory gradually expanded. The Classic of Poetry is the first anthology of poetry in Han literary history. It has exerted a profound influence on later poetry and stands as the source of the realist tradition in classical Chinese literature.

Editor's review

Qin Feng is one of the fifteen Airs of the Guo Feng section of the Classic of Poetry, comprising ten pieces—folk songs of the Qin region. Qin was originally a dependency of Zhou; King Xiao of Western Zhou enfeoffed Feizi at Qin, after which the territory gradually expanded, and these poems arose from that historical soil. This book presents the group as a whole, helping readers grasp the character of Qin Feng. Qin Feng is known for its plain, vigorous style: it sings of daily life and also touches on warfare and parting, with direct and powerful feeling. As part of the Classic of Poetry, it carries the significance of being the source of the realist tradition in classical Chinese literature. When reading, there is no need to solve every piece at once—first read through to feel the rhythm of the language, then use the notes to understand words and background, and finally choose the pieces that move you most and savor them repeatedly. For readers seeking a systematic introduction to the Airs of the Classic of Poetry, this is a convenient entry point.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature enthusiasts who want to read the Airs of the Classic of Poetry systematically
Chinese teachers who need reference material for teaching the Qin Feng pieces
Students interested in pre-Qin folk songs and the realist tradition

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for detailed line-by-line modern translations and lengthy textual scholarship
Readers unaccustomed to the rhythm of classical verse who prefer vernacular narrative

Reading tips

First read through all ten pieces to feel the overall rhythm of the language, then read the notes piece by piece.
Choose the pieces that move you most and recite them repeatedly to appreciate the plain vigor of Qin Feng.
Use the historical background of the Qin region to understand how warfare and daily life intertwine in the poems.

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
车邻
驷驖
小戎
蒹葭
终南
黄鸟
晨风
无衣
渭阳
权舆

FAQ

How many pieces does Qin Feng contain in total?

According to this book, the Guo Feng section Qin Feng comprises ten pieces—folk songs of the Qin region—and is one of the fifteen Airs of the Classic of Poetry.

What historical background should one know before reading Qin Feng?

Qin was originally a dependency of Zhou; King Xiao of Western Zhou enfeoffed Feizi at Qin, and the territory gradually expanded. Understanding this general outline helps in grasping the soil from which Qin Feng arose and the scenes of life it involves.

Why is the Classic of Poetry called the source of the realist tradition?

This book notes that the Classic of Poetry is the first anthology of poetry in Han literary history, has exerted a profound influence on later poetry, and stands as the source of the realist tradition in classical Chinese literature. As part of it, Qin Feng embodies this characteristic as well.

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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.