Light and Heavy, Part C

Guan ZhongBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

2.8

Word count: 86 words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Mr. Ma Feibai devoted decades to the study of the Qingzhong chapters of the Guanzi and began writing A New Commentary on the Qingzhong Chapters of the Guanzi in 1943; the work has since gone through seven drafts. The third draft was borrowed by Comrade Guo Moruo in the mid-1950s for reference while he compiled the Collected Collations of the Guanzi, was listed among his cited works, and was cited nearly a hundred times. Guo wrote Mr. Ma a letter at the time, evaluating the draft and suggesting that he "write a separate comprehensive study—that is, in the form of a scholarly article." Mr. Ma accepted this suggestion and went on to write three articles, collectively titled On the Qingzhong Chapters of the Guanzi. The textual collation and annotation of the original Qingzhong text was also revised many times. We now publish the two parts together and, in accordance with Mr. Ma's own wishes, have placed a facsimile of Guo's letter at the front.

Editor's review

This book is the culmination of Mr. Ma Feibai's research on the Qingzhong chapters of the Guanzi. It combines textual collation and annotation with scholarly articles in a single volume and includes a facsimile of the letter Guo Moruo wrote to him about the manuscript, making it a work of rare scholarly and historical value. Mr. Ma began writing in 1943 and revised the work seven times; the third draft was borrowed and consulted by Guo Moruo during the compilation of the Collected Collations of the Guanzi and was cited nearly ninety times, a testament to the depth of his scholarship. The collation section examines the original Qingzhong text passage by passage, while the articles offer comprehensive studies of the work as a whole. The two parts complement each other, serving both as a reference for checking wording and as a guide to the overall argument. For readers studying ancient economic thought or the textual history of the Guanzi, this is a solid and reliable reference work; general readers with an interest in pre-Qin classics can also use it to see how a commentary takes shape through repeated revision.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Specialist scholars researching the Guanzi and pre-Qin economic thought
Scholars of literature and history interested in the methods of collating ancient texts
Readers interested in scholarly history and documents related to Guo Moruo
Advanced readers with some grounding in classical Chinese who wish to study the Qingzhong chapters in depth

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking an easy introduction to the thought of the Guanzi
General readers with no classical Chinese who need a plain-language edition
Readers who want only a general history of economic thought and are not interested in textual criticism

Reading tips

Begin with the facsimile of Guo Moruo's letter and the preface to understand the background and scholarly context of the book
Read the collation and the articles separately or in parallel by chapter—collation first, then the articles
Mark citations and textual notes and follow them up with related works such as the Collected Collations of the Guanzi

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
轻重丙第八十二

FAQ

What does "Qingzhong Bing" in the title refer to?

The Qingzhong chapters are important sections of the Guanzi, largely concerned with economics and statecraft. This book presents Ma Feibai's collation and study of the Qingzhong chapters; "Bing" is the sequence or edition label assigned at publication. See the preface for details.

Is this book suitable for beginners?

Not really. It consists mainly of textual collation and scholarly articles and involves extensive textual criticism and citation, requiring some classical Chinese and experience with reading classical texts. Beginners would do better to start with a plain-language anthology of the Guanzi or a general introduction.

What role does Guo Moruo's letter play in the book?

The facsimile letter at the front records Guo Moruo's evaluation of and suggestions for Ma Feibai's manuscript and confirms that the manuscript was consulted and cited in the Collected Collations of the Guanzi. It is both a primary document in scholarly history and a aid to understanding how the book was written and revised.

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About the author

Guan Zhong Author · Chinese

Guan Zi is Guan Zhong, of the Ji clan and the Guan lineage, named Yiwu, styled Zhong, posthumously honored as Jing, a native of Yingshang (present-day Yingshang County, Anhui). A statesman of the early Spring and Autumn period and a forerunner of Legalism in the state of Qi, he assisted Duke Huan of Qi in uniting the feudal lords and setting the realm in order, and has been acclaimed as "the foremost minister of China." His thought is preserved in the book Guanzi, of which 28 related works are held in the collection, with representative chapters including "Guo Xu," "Nei Ye," "Di Yuan," "Qing Zhong Ding," "Zhou He," "Li Zheng," "Jin Zang," and "You Guan." These pieces span economic regulation, mind-and-nature cultivation, geography and products, and statecraft; their style is sometimes terse and substantive, sometimes developed through dialogue, reflecting an early blend of Legalist and Qi-regional scholarship. Public sources on the details of his life are limited, and later accounts mostly rely on the Guanzi text and pre-Qin histories. His works are commonly classified under Eastern philosophy, prose and miscellaneous writings, comprehensive biography, and literary appreciation, and have influenced both ancient political thought and the prose tradition.