Chronological Biography of Hu Hong cover

Chronological Biography of Hu Hong

Rating 3.5
Word count
150K words
Chapters
112
ISBN
9787520553537

Tags

Summary

Hu Hong (c. 1105–1161), courtesy name Renzhong, known as Mr. Wufeng, was a native of Chong'an (present-day Chong'an, Fujian). He was the founder of the Huxiang School. At fifteen he wrote his own Lun Lunyu and later compiled the Chengshi Yayan. At twenty he went to the capital and entered the Imperial University. He studied under the Neo-Confucian scholars Yang Shi and Hou Zhongliang. In the first year of the Shaoxing era of the Song, Hu Hong and his father Hu Anguo came to Biquan in Xiangtan, where they opened a school and taught students, expounding the learning of Huxiang, devoting themselves to the study and writing of the Chunqiu Zhuan and to founding the Huxiang School. In the eighth and twenty-fifth years of Shaoxing he twice declined invitations to office. In the thirty-first year of Shaoxing (1161) he died of illness at Biquan. His major works include Zhiyan, Huangwang Daji, and Yi Waizhuan. This book is the first chronological biography (nianpu) to present Hu Hong's scholarly career in full. Hu Hong carried on the historical tradition of the Yizhuan and Chunqiu running from Confucius through Dong Zhongshu and Wang Tong to the Three Masters of the Early Song; he upheld the Confucian cosmic vision of 'Heaven as father and Earth as mother,' taking Heaven as the highest being, and through the practical activity of 'the mind completing human nature' sought to rebuild the connection between Heaven and humanity. His theory of 'Heaven (nature)—mind—things (affairs)' not only preserves and transmits the tradition of 'Heaven begets—Earth nurtures—humans complete' but also deepens and extends it. The compilation of this nianpu takes this as its main thread, transcends the framework of Neo-Confucian theories of mind and nature, and seeks to present the Huxiang School's inheritance and development of the Confucian learning of Heaven and humanity in the Yi and the Chunqiu. Hu Hong Nianpu is also remarkably complete and rich in its collection of materials: the Shangcai Yulu as recorded by Hu Anguo and his correspondence with scholars such as Yang Shi, Hu Anguo's preface to the Supplementary Remnants of the Zizhi Tongjian, and the questions and answers between Hu Anguo and Hu Hong after Hu Anguo wrote Yang Shi's epitaph.

Editor's review

Hu Hong Nianpu is a scholarly work that systematically traces the life and thought of Hu Hong, a major Neo-Confucian of the Southern Song. Drawing on abundant and reliable historical sources, the author Li Xianyi reconstructs in annalistic form the life trajectory and scholarly lineage of this founder of the Huxiang School. Its value lies not only in filling a genealogical gap in Hu Hong studies but also in providing a key footnote for understanding the regional development of Southern Song Neo-Confucianism. The nianpu details Hu Hong's course from studying under Yang Shi to founding the philosophical system of 'nature as root,' revealing how he integrated the Cheng brothers' Luo learning with Huxiang regional culture to form a distinctive learning of mind and nature. The book's textual scholarship is rigorous, and its analysis of Hu Hong's interactions with contemporaries such as Zhang Shi and Zhu Xi is especially accomplished, allowing readers to glimpse the concrete workings of the Southern Song scholarly network. As a desk reference, its clear timeline and arrangement of events offer professional researchers easy access; as a text in intellectual history, its contextualized interpretation of propositions such as 'Heaven's mandate is nature, human nature is mind' reveals the inner tensions in the evolution of Neo-Confucian thought. Note that the book emphasizes scholarly narrative and maintains the restrained style of historical research; it is suited to readers who already have a basic familiarity with Song intellectual history for in-depth study.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • University faculty, students, and scholars in Song–Ming Neo-Confucianism studies
  • Regional-culture researchers interested in the intellectual origins of the Huxiang School
  • Students of Chinese philosophy needing specialized source materials on Hu Hong
  • History enthusiasts interested in Southern Song literati networks and social interaction

Not a good fit for

  • General readers seeking a popular, story-driven biography
  • Beginners with no grounding in the Confucian classics

Reading tips

  1. Readers may first consult the 'Wufeng Xue'an' chapter of the Song-Yuan Xue'an to build basic familiarity
  2. It is advisable to read alongside Hu Hong's original Zhiyan to compare the intellectual turning points in the nianpu
  3. Note the mutual corroboration between the unpublished letters in the appendix and the main text

About the publisher

China Culture and History Press China · Founded in 1980

China Culture and History Press has long devoted itself to modern and contemporary literature and culture-and-history reading matter, with publishing directions centered on classic works, social novels, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy, alongside culture-and-history periodicals such as Zongheng. Among the more than 1,500 titles in the collection, representative books include Zhang Henshui's Ti Xiao Yin Yuan, Lu Xun's Complete Classic Works (10 volumes) and Wild Grass, and Lao She's Four Generations Under One Roof series and the boxed set of Lao She's Classic Works (10 volumes), while its author resources are concentrated on figures such as Zhang Henshui, Lu Xun, Lao She and Sima Qian. Its publishing character lies in solid editorial work on culture-and-history source texts and in issuing famous authors' works in sets, balancing the readability of individual texts with the systematic presentation of complete collections for focused reading and collecting. Beyond these directions, public information on the press's contemporary original publishing is limited, so it is not elaborated here.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序
  3. 前言
  4. 年谱
  5. 熙宁七年(1074),胡安国一岁
  6. 熙宁八年(1075),胡安国二岁
  7. 熙宁九年(1076),胡安国三岁
  8. 熙宁十年(1077),胡安国四岁
  9. 元丰元年(1078),胡安国五岁
  10. 元丰二年(1079),胡安国六岁
  11. 元丰三年(1080),胡安国七岁
  12. 元丰四年(1081),胡安国八岁
  13. 元丰五年(1082),胡安国九岁
  14. 元丰六年(1083),胡安国十岁
  15. 元丰七年(1084),胡安国十一岁
  16. 元丰八年(1085),胡安国十二岁
  17. 元祐元年(1086),胡安国十三岁
  18. 元祐二年(1087),胡安国十四岁
  19. 元祐三年(1088),胡安国十五岁
  20. 元祐四年(1089),胡安国十六岁
  21. 元祐五年(1090),胡安国十七岁
  22. 元祐六年(1091),胡安国十八岁
  23. 元祐七年(1092),胡安国十九岁
  24. 元祐八年(1093),胡安国二十岁
  25. 元祐九年(1094),胡安国二十一岁
  26. 绍圣二年(1095),胡安国二十二岁
  27. 绍圣三年(1096),胡安国二十三岁
  28. 绍圣四年(1097),胡安国二十四岁
  29. 绍圣五年(1098),胡安国二十五岁
  30. 元符二年(1099),胡安国二十六岁
  31. 元符三年(1100),胡安国二十七岁
  32. 建中靖国元年(1101),胡安国二十八岁
  33. 崇宁元年(1102),胡安国二十九岁
  34. 崇宁二年(1103),胡安国三十岁
  35. 崇宁三年(1104),胡安国三十一岁
  36. 崇宁四年(1105),胡安国三十二岁,胡宏一岁
  37. 崇宁五年(1106),胡安国三十三岁,胡宏两岁
  38. 大观元年(1107),胡安国三十四岁,胡宏三岁
  39. 大观二年(1108),胡安国三十五岁,胡宏四岁
  40. 大观三年(1109),胡安国三十六岁,胡宏五岁
  41. 大观四年(1110),胡安国三十七岁,胡宏六岁
  42. 政和元年(1111),胡安国三十八岁,胡宏七岁
  43. 政和二年(1112),胡安国三十九岁,胡宏八岁
  44. 政和三年(1113),胡安国四十岁,胡宏九岁
  45. 政和四年(1114),胡安国四十一岁,胡宏十岁
  46. 政和五年(1115),胡安国四十二岁,胡宏十一岁
  47. 政和六年(1116),胡安国四十三岁,胡宏十二岁
  48. 政和七年(1117),胡安国四十四岁,胡宏十三岁
  49. 政和八年(1118),胡安国四十五岁,胡宏十四岁
  50. 宣和元年(1119),胡安国四十六岁,胡宏十五岁
  51. 宣和二年(1120),胡安国四十七岁,胡宏十六岁
  52. 宣和三年(1121),胡安国四十八岁,胡宏十七岁
  53. 宣和四年(1122),胡安国四十九岁,胡宏十八岁
  54. 宣和五年(1123),胡安国五十岁,胡宏十九岁
  55. 宣和六年(1124),胡安国五十一岁,胡宏二十岁
  56. 宣和七年(1125),胡安国五十二岁,胡宏二十一岁
  57. 靖康元年(1126),胡安国五十三岁,胡宏二十二岁
  58. 靖康二年(1127),胡安国五十四岁,胡宏二十三岁
  59. 建炎二年(1128),胡安国五十五岁,胡宏二十四岁
  60. 建炎三年(1129),胡安国五十六岁,胡宏二十五岁
  61. 建炎四年(1130),胡安国五十七岁,胡宏二十六岁
  62. 绍兴元年(1131),胡安国五十八岁,胡宏二十七岁
  63. 绍兴二年(1132),胡安国五十九岁,胡宏二十八岁
  64. 绍兴三年(1133),胡安国六十岁,胡宏二十九岁
  65. 绍兴四年(1134),胡安国六十一岁,胡宏三十岁
  66. 绍兴五年(1135),胡安国六十二岁,胡宏三十一岁
  67. 绍兴六年(1136),胡安国六十三岁,胡宏三十二岁,张栻四岁
  68. 绍兴七年(1137),胡安国六十四岁,胡宏三十三岁,张栻五岁
  69. 绍兴八年(1138),胡安国六十五岁,胡宏三十四岁,张栻六岁
  70. 绍兴九年(1139),胡宏三十五岁,张栻七岁
  71. 绍兴十年(1140),胡宏三十六岁,张栻八岁
  72. 绍兴十一年(1141),胡宏三十七岁,张栻九岁
  73. 绍兴十二年(1142),胡宏三十八岁,张栻十岁
  74. 绍兴十三年(1143),胡宏三十九岁,张栻十一岁
  75. 绍兴十四年(1144),胡宏四十岁,张栻十二岁
  76. 绍兴十五年(1145),胡宏四十一岁,张栻十三岁
  77. 绍兴十六年(1146),胡宏四十二岁,张栻十四岁
  78. 绍兴十七年(1147),胡宏四十三岁,张栻十五岁
  79. 绍兴十八年(1148),胡宏四十四岁,张栻十六岁
  80. 绍兴十九年(1149),胡宏四十五岁,张栻十七岁
  81. 绍兴二十年(1150),胡宏四十六岁,张栻十八岁
  82. 绍兴二十一年(1151),胡宏四十七岁,张栻十九岁
  83. 绍兴二十二年(1152),胡宏四十八岁,张栻二十岁
  84. 绍兴二十三年(1153),胡宏四十九岁,张栻二十一岁
  85. 绍兴二十四年(1154),胡宏五十岁,张栻二十二岁
  86. 绍兴二十五年(1155),胡宏五十一岁,张栻二十三岁
  87. 绍兴二十六年(1156),胡宏五十二岁,张栻二十四岁
  88. 绍兴二十七年(1157),胡宏五十三岁,张栻二十五岁
  89. 绍兴二十八年(1158),胡宏五十四岁,张栻二十六岁
  90. 绍兴二十九年(1159),胡宏五十五岁,张栻二十七岁
  91. 绍兴三十年(1160),胡宏五十六岁,张栻二十八岁
  92. 绍兴三十一年(1161),胡宏五十七岁,张栻二十九岁
  93. 绍兴三十二年(1162),张栻三十岁
  94. 隆兴元年(1163),张栻三十一岁
  95. 隆兴二年(1164),张栻三十二岁
  96. 乾道元年(1165),张栻三十三岁
  97. 乾道二年(1166),张栻三十四岁
  98. 乾道三年(1167),张栻三十五岁
  99. 乾道四年(1168),张栻三十六岁
  100. 乾道五年(1169),张栻三十七岁
  101. 乾道六年(1170),张栻三十八岁
  102. 乾道七年(1171),张栻三十九岁
  103. 乾道八年(1172),张栻四十岁
  104. 乾道九年(1173),张栻四十一岁
  105. 淳熙元年(1174),张栻四十二岁
  106. 淳熙二年(1175),张栻四十三岁
  107. 淳熙三年(1176),张栻四十四岁
  108. 淳熙四年(1177),张栻四十五岁
  109. 淳熙五年(1178),张栻四十六岁
  110. 淳熙六年(1179),张栻四十七岁
  111. 淳熙七年(1180),张栻四十八岁
  112. 附录

FAQ

How does this book differ from the annotated edition of Hu Hong Ji?
The nianpu focuses on chronological reconstruction of his life and scholarly activities, while the annotated edition focuses on textual collation and intellectual interpretation; together they form a complementary system of historical sources and documents for studying Hu Hong.
How does the book handle the intellectual differences between Hu Hong and Zhu Xi?
By comparing their correspondence and records of scholarly debate, the author presents the formation of the differences between 'the theory of mind and nature' and 'the theory of principle and qi' within their historical context, avoiding simple value judgments.
What new contribution does this book make to Huxiang School studies?
Through micro-level examination of the specific temporal and spatial coordinates of Hu Hong's teaching, writing, and social circles, it reveals the organizational mechanisms by which the Huxiang School evolved from a regional scholarly group into a nationwide intellectual school.

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About the author

李先义 Author

Li Xianyi is an author about whom limited public information is available; only one work of his is currently known, the Chronological Biography of Hu Hong, classified under general biography. Judging from its subject, the author attends to the life and scholarly context of the Song dynasty thinker Hu Hong, using the traditional chronological-biography form to trace his activities, associations, and writings. Such a work relies on the arrangement of historical sources and the verification of dates, requiring the author to work patiently through collected writings, gazetteers, letters, and other primary documents, comparing entries one by one and choosing the most reliable. Li Xianyi's writing therefore appears empirical and documentary in orientation, careful and down-to-earth in style, speaking through the sources rather than through argument. Though such a book may reach a modest readership, it offers later researchers a dependable foundation for studying Hu Hong and Song Neo-Confucianism, serving as both a reference tool and a guide.