China Studies Wiki - User contributions [en]

Classical Chinese Literature

2012-04-18T04:15:03Z

76.8.201.45: /* Timeless Presentations */

[https://wiki.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/uvu/index.php/uvu:Community_Portal Click here to learn how to use this Wiki.] [[User:Root|Root]] 11:42, 10 January 2012 (UTC)

= Announcements =
'''The wiki will be graded on W 4/18/2012 11:59 p.m. Please make sure that all articles are up. [[Special:Upload]]'''

= Beginnings =
* The development of oral literature forms -- Alexis Sagen

== Xia Dynasty ==
Mythical dynasty before the invention of script.

== Shang Dynasty ==
* The emergence of script - Oracle Bones (turtle shells, scapula - cow shoulder blades)
* The emergence of Written Literature (1200 BC)

== Zhou Dynasty and Warring States Period ==
* [[Confucius]] -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 05:36, 6 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Mencius]] -- [[User:Delon Lier|Delon Lier]] [https://learn-uvu.uen.org/courses/98968/files/10489162/download?wrap=1 Powerpoint presentation]
* [[The 5 Canonized Classics]] -- [[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 04:35, 20 January 2012 (UTC)

== Han Dynasty ==
* [[Cai Yong]] [https://learn-uvu.uen.org/courses/98968/files/10489270/download?wrap=1 Powerpoint presentation]
* [[Songs from India]] -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 06:44, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

== 16 Kingdoms and 6 Dynasties ==
* [[Tao Yuanming - Manuscript Culture]] -- [[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 23:06, 4 February 2012 (UTC)

= The Golden Age =
== Tang Dynasty ==
* [[Examples of authors unknown in their lifetime, but famous after their death]] -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 02:32, 4 April 2012 (UTC)
* [[Du Fu]] (712 - 770) [https://wiki.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/uvu/images/d/da/Du_Fu_%28wiki%29.pptx Powerpoint presentation] -- ''Mid Term Paper'' -- [[User:Wantong|Wantong]] 20:18, 2 March 2012 (UTC)
* [[Li Bai]] -- ''Mid Term Paper'' -- [[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 22:30, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

== Song Dynasty ==
* [[Ouyang Xiu]] -- ''Mid Term Paper'' -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 06:44, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Su Shi (Su Dongpo)]] -- ''Mid Term Paper'' -- [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 17:48, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

= The Foreign Dynasties Liao (Khitan), the Jin (Jurchen) and the Yuan (Mongols) =
== Yuan ==
* Yuan Literature I -- Arnold
* Yuan Literature II -- Wantong D

= Ming Dynasty =
* Literary Societies in Ming -- Delon L
* Ming literature I - Rise of books -- Delon L
* Ming literature, eight-legged essay -- Wantong D
* [[The predecessors of newspapers]] -- [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 21:55, 15 April 2012 (UTC) [https://wiki.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/uvu/index.php/File:CHIN_LIT_-4.pptx]
* Novel 'Plum in a Golden Vase / The Golden Lotus' -- Licia K
* Novel 'Journey to the West' -- Arnold Q
* [[Novel 'Water Margin']] -- [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 22:04, 15 April 2012 (UTC)
* Feng Menglong, the first commercially successful writer -- Wantong D

= Preview: Qing (Manchu)-Dynasty =
* [[Middlebrow Literature]] [https://learn-uvu.uen.org/courses/98968/files/10489082/download?wrap=1 Powerpoint presentation]

= Timeless Presentations =

* [[Canonization of Chinese Literature in the East and West]] -- ''Mid Term Paper'' -- [[User:Delon Lier|Delon Lier]]
* [[Writing with your own blood]] -- [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 03:43, 8 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Saying A and meaning B - Several examples of double layer literature]] -- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 02:32, 4 April 2012 (UTC)
* [[Which emperor had killed close relatives to ascend the throne?]] -- [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 22:13, 15 April 2012 (UTC) [https://wiki.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/uvu/index.php/File:CHIN_LIT_-2.pptx]
* Poetry Genres [https://wiki.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/uvu/images/4/43/Poetry_Genres.pptx Powerpoint presentation] -- [[User:Wantong|Wantong]] 19:46, 4 April 2012 (UTC)

Midterm Paper - Li Bai

2012-03-04T22:30:20Z

76.8.201.45:

I am also known as '''Li Po'''.

Welcome to my page, for I am about to bring you on an incredible journey through my life, my works, and my immortality.

Let us begin!
=Life=
[[File:LiBai.jpg|thumb|right|alt=A painting of Li Bai.|A painting of me.]]
I was born in the year 701. Where, you ask? This has been a controversy for more than a millennium. While where I was born is not entirely known, the brashness and bravado of my poetic voice are characteristics of poets from this region. (Wu 66)
There are theories that I could have been of Turkish decent. I am probably from a mercantile family. (Eide 370)

My family dwelt in what is now Gansu. Evidence suggests that my family was banished during the Sui Dynasty, (due to a crime) and thus moved from Gansu. In 705 my family secretly moved to beautiful Sichuan (famous for its gigantic mountains and wonderful natural scenery), where I spent my childhood. (Wu 57)

I read everything! Of course I read the Confucian Classics, but I also read things normal scholars abstained from, such as astrological and metaphysical texts. (Eide 373)

In 761, Du Fu wrote this particular poem about me: (Wu 58)
<blockquote>''I have not seen Li Po for a long time-- 
''What a pitiable man with his feigned madness! 
''All the world wants to kill him: 
''I alone dote on his genius. 
''Quick-witted, he has hit off a thousand poems; 
''A waif in the world, his only home is in a cup of wine. 
''O my friend! 'Tis time to return to Ku'ang Shan, 
''Where you used to read books with such gusto.''</blockquote>
From this we can gather I used to study books in Ku'ang Shan, a mountain lying near the city of Chengtu.

I enjoyed taming birds and sword play. I was quite proficient in martial arts. 
By the time I was twenty, I had killed with my own hands several persons for chivalrous causes. ('''Author's note:''' Take that with a lump of salt. Could not be confirmed elsewhere). (Wu 58)
<blockquote>''“When I was fifteen, I was fond of sword play, and with that art I challenged quite a few great men.”'' -- Li Bai [Wu 58]</blockquote>

Around 725 I left home and became a wanderer. I sailed around, a truly wild spirit. Although I married the granddaughter of a retired Prime Minister, even she (Hsu Hsin-shih, try saying that three times fast) could not tame me.
In 735, I wandered to Shansi, where one of the most important events of my life happened. Here I met Kuo Tzu-i, a humble soldier. I saved him from a court-martial by simply speaking to the commander.

=Poetry=
=Topic: Immortality=

=== References:===
1. Eide, Elling O. ''On Li Po.'' New Haven: Yale UP, 1973. Print.

2. Mair, Victor H. "Li Po's Letters in Pursuit of Political Patronage." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 44.1 (1984): 123-53. JSTOR. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.

3. Wu, Jingxiong. ''The Four Seasons of Tʻang Poetry,.'' Rutland, VT: C.E. Tuttle, 1972. Print.

Classical Chinese Literature

2012-03-03T18:32:36Z

76.8.201.45:

[https://wiki.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/uvu/index.php/uvu:Community_Portal Click here to learn how to use this Wiki.] [[User:Root|Root]] 11:42, 10 January 2012 (UTC)

== Oral Literature ==
== The emergence of script ==
== End of Shang: Written Literature (1200 BC -) ==

== Zhou Dynasty and Warring States Period ==
* [[The 5 Canonized Classics]] --[[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 04:35, 20 January 2012 (UTC)
* [[Tao Yuanming - Manuscript Culture]] --[[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 23:06, 4 February 2012 (UTC)
=== Confucius: Analects ===
* [[Confucius]]-- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 05:36, 6 February 2012 (UTC)

=== Mencius (372–289 BCE) ===
* [[Mencius]] [https://learn-uvu.uen.org/courses/98968/files/10489162/download?wrap=1 Powerpoint presentation]

== The Han Dynasty ==
* [[Cai Yong]] [https://learn-uvu.uen.org/courses/98968/files/10489270/download?wrap=1 Powerpoint presentation]

== The Tang Dynasty ==
* [[Midterm Report - Du Fu]] --[[User:Wantong|Wantong]] 20:18, 2 March 2012 (UTC)
* [[Midterm Paper - Li Bai]] --[[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 22:30, 1 March 2012 (UTC)

== The Song Dynasty ==
* [[Ou Yang Xiu]] [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 06:44, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Su Shi (Su Dongpo)]] [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 17:48, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

=Diachronic Letters=
* [[Midterm Report: Canonization of Chinese Literature in the East and West]] [[User:Delon Lier|Delon Lier]]
* [[Middlebrow Literature]] [https://learn-uvu.uen.org/courses/98968/files/10489082/download?wrap=1 Powerpoint presentation]
* [[Writing with your own blood]] -- [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 03:43, 8 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Songs from India]] [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 06:44, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

Classical Chinese Literature

2012-03-01T22:29:47Z

76.8.201.45: Added my midterm page

[https://wiki.vm.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/uvu/index.php/uvu:Community_Portal Click here to learn how to use this Wiki.] [[User:Root|Root]] 11:42, 10 January 2012 (UTC)

== Oral Literature ==
== The emergence of script ==
== End of Shang: Written Literature (1200 BC -) ==

== Zhou Dynasty and Warring States Period ==
* [[The 5 Canonized Classics]] --[[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 04:35, 20 January 2012 (UTC)
* [[Tao Yuanming - Manuscript Culture]] --[[User:ArnoldQ|ArnoldQ]] 23:06, 4 February 2012 (UTC)
=== Confucius: Analects ===
* [[Confucius]]-- [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 05:36, 6 February 2012 (UTC)
== The Han Dynasty ==
* [[Canonization of Chinese Literature in the East and West]] --[[User:Alchemist1330|Alchemist1330]] 21:02, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

== The Tang Dynasty ==
* [[Midterm Report - Du Fu]] ~Wantong 12:40, 18 January 2012 (UTC)
* [[Midterm Report - Li Bai]] --[[Special:Contributions/76.8.201.45|76.8.201.45]] 22:29, 1 March 2012 (UTC)
== The Song Dynasty ==
* [[Ou Yang Xiu]] [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 06:44, 28 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Su Shi (Su Dongpo)]] [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 17:48, 27 February 2012 (UTC)

(please add the other reading in turns and oral presentations here)[[User:Root|Root]] 05:16, 22 January 2012 (UTC)

* [[Writing with your own blood]] -- [[User:Alexis Sagen|Alexis Sagen]] 03:43, 8 February 2012 (UTC)
* [[Songs from India]] [[User:Licia K|Licia K]] 06:44, 28 February 2012 (UTC)

Tao Yuanming

2012-03-01T08:11:11Z

76.8.201.45:

== Life ==
[[File:330px-'Tao Yuanming', ink on paper scroll by Min Zhen, 18th century china.jpg|thumb|Tao Yuanming, by Min Zhen,from 18th century China.]]
* Born in 365(CE) in Chaisang to a prominent southern noble family.

* Served many civil and military posts, but none of high position.
** Last position was of county magistrate at Pengze (not far from hometown).

* During this period of service in a series of minor posts, Tao Yuanming's poems begin to indicate that he was becoming torn between ambition and a desire to retreat into solitude.

* One source states that Tao was the first Chinese poet to grapple with the justification of my decision to withdraw from office. [Nienhauser, 193]

* In 405 my sister died. This in addition with my disgust at the corruption and infighting of the Jin Court lead me to resign.

* I had become convinced that life was too short to compromise on my principles.
** The last 22 years of my life I lived in retirement.

* I have a personal inclination towards a private life of leisure and spontaneity.

* Considered "Neo-Taoist".

== Poetry ==

First, what is reclusion?
Here is a great quote from Fredrick Mote:

<blockquote>"in Chinese society... [terms designating recluses] signified withdrawal from the active
public life in the service of society that Confucian ethics prescribed as the most suitable
course for all whose abilities, cultivation, and learning qualified them for it. To bar one's gates
and earn one's own living without reliance on the emolument of office, to display
a lack of regard for the social status which could be attained only by entering
officialdom, and to devote one's life to self-cultivation, scholarship or artistic pursuits
made one a recluse." [Swartz 79]</blockquote>

* I was not the first to write about reclusion. I had significant influence though: I transformed stock images and normal vocabulary into highly personalized poetry.
** I alluded to the "here and now" any my particular circumstance rather then generic gentleman reclusion. This made my poems very autobiographical, but not in the normal objective sense.
** This made quite the impact, for future poems and fu's began to have short prefaces before them, also explaining the author's circumstance around the composition.

* ''The Record of Peach Blossom Spring''

== References: ==

1. [untitled]
William H. Nienhauser, Jr.
Reviewed work(s):
Tao Yuanming and Manuscript Culture: The Record of a Dusty Table by Xiaofei Tian
Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR)
Vol. 28, (Dec., 2006), pp. 191-195

2.

Tao Yuanming

2012-02-13T07:19:25Z

76.8.201.45:

== Life ==
[[File:330px-'Tao Yuanming', ink on paper scroll by Min Zhen, 18th century china.jpg|thumb|Tao Yuanming, by Min Zhen,from 18th century China.]]
* Born in 365(CE) in Chaisang to a prominent southern noble family.

* Served many civil and military posts, but none of high position.
** Last position was of county magistrate at Pengze (not far from hometown).

* During this period of service in a series of minor posts, Tao Yuanming's poems begin to indicate that he was becoming torn between ambition and a desire to retreat into solitude.

* One source states that Tao was the first Chinese poet to grapple with the justification of my decision to withdraw from office. [Nienhauser, 193]

* In 405 my sister died. This in addition with my disgust at the corruption and infighting of the Jin Court lead me to resign.

* I had become convinced that life was too short to compromise on my principles.
** The last 22 years of my life I lived in retirement.

* I have a personal inclination towards a private life of leisure and spontaneity.

* Considered "Neo-Taoist".

== Poetry ==

First, what is reclusion?
Here is a great quote from Fredrick Mote:

<blockquote>"in Chinese society... [terms designating recluses] signified withdrawal from the active
public life in the service of society that Confucian ethics prescribed as the most suitable
course for all whose abilities, cultivation, and learning qualified them for it. To bar one's gates
and earn one's own living without reliance on the emolument of office, to display
a lack of regard for the social status which could be attained only by entering
officialdom, and to devote one's life to self-cultivation, scholarship or artistic pursuits
made one a recluse." [Swartz 79]</blockquote>

* I was not the first to write about reclusion. I had significant influence though: I transformed stock images and normal vocabulary into highly personalized poetry.
** I alluded to the "here and now" any my particular circumstance rather then generic gentleman reclusion. This made my poems very autobiographical, but not in the normal objective sense.
** This made quite the impact, for future poems and fu's began to have short prefaces before them, also explaining the author's circumstance around the composition.

== References: ==

1. [untitled]
William H. Nienhauser, Jr.
Reviewed work(s):
Tao Yuanming and Manuscript Culture: The Record of a Dusty Table by Xiaofei Tian
Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (CLEAR)
Vol. 28, (Dec., 2006), pp. 191-195

2.

Classical Chinese Literature

2012-02-04T23:05:31Z

76.8.201.45: Started new page on reading in turn. Didn't know which number it would be so left that open

The 5 Canonized Classics

2012-02-03T05:46:55Z

76.8.201.45:

<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>==History==

* These five books, or parts of them, were either commented, compiled, or edited by Confucius himself. [1] <ref>Test, test. Page 1. test</ref>
a

* Recent scholarship suggests, that Confucius did not write them.[2]

* However, Confucius did use the Shijing and the Shujing or Shangshu for learning exercises with his disciples.[3]

== I Ching ==
* The oldest manuscript that has been found, albeit incomplete, dates back to the Warring States Period.

* Traditionally, the I Ching and its hexagrams were thought to be before recorded history.

* It is suggested that the earliest layer of the text may date from the end of the 2nd millennium BC, but place doubts on the mythological aspects in the traditional accounts.

* Not the work of one or several legendary or historical figures.

* Is an accumulation of Western Zhou divinatory concepts.

* During the Warring States Period, the text was re-interpreted as a system of cosmology and philosophy

* Focused on the ideas of the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change.

* The heart of early Chinese philosophical thought, serving as a common ground for the Confucian and Taoist schools.

* ''I Ching'' had two distinct functions.
** A compendium and classic of ancient cosmic principles.
**Used as a divination text. In this case, used by marketplace fortune tellers and roadside oracles. These individuals served the illiterate peasantry.
=== Hexagrams ===

* 64 sets of the grid – many types.

* Each hexagram is accompanied with a description, often cryptic, akin to parables. Each line in every hexagram is also given a similar description.

* Article: ''Explication de l'Arithmétique Binaire'' (1703) Gottfried Leibniz : he found in the hexagrams a base for claiming the universality of the binary numeral system.
** Hexagrams possibly represented the binary sequences, so that ¦¦¦¦¦¦ would correspond to the binary sequence 000000 and ¦¦¦¦¦| would be 000001, and so forth.

== Spring and Autumn Annals ==

Because it was traditionally regarded as having been compiled by Confucius (after a claim to this effect by Mencius), it was included as one of the Five Classics of Chinese literature.

* Formed by various chroniclers from the State of Lu.

* The scope of events recorded in the book is quite limited.

* The focus is on various feudal states' diplomatic relations, alliances and military actions, as well as births and deaths among the ruling families.

* The chronicle also takes note of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, locusts and solar eclipses.

* Events are narrated in chronological order, dated by the reign-year of the Duke of Lu, the season, the month and the day.

* The annalist structure is followed strictly, to the extent of listing the four seasons of each year even when no events are recorded.

* The style is terse and impersonal, and gives no clue as to the actual authorship!

==Classic of Rites==

* It described the social forms, governmental system, and ancient/ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050–256 BCE).

* "The Burning of the Books." This occurred in 213 BCE when most traditional books were burned with the exception of books on war, medicine, astrology, agriculture, and divination.

* Some Confucian scholars had memorized the Classics and thus transmitted the Classics to their disciples who in turn recorded them in manuscripts.

* These disciples recorded each of the Classics from memory but the Classic of Music (Yuejing) could not be recompiled. However, a chapter in the Classic of Rites is the Record of Music (Yueji), which was derived from the lost Classic.

* The Classic of Rites was rewritten and edited by Confucius' disciples after the "Burning of the Books."

* Other scholars have attempted to shorten these scripts.
** Dai De who reworked the text in the 1st Century BCE, reducing the original 214 books to 85.
** Was later further reduced by his younger brother Dai Sheng to 46 books, to which three were added towards the end of the Han Dynasty, bringing the total to 49.

== Classic of History==
* The Classic of History was compiled between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, and reportedly included over 100 chapters.

* Many citations of its content can be found in the bamboo slips texts from the tombs of Guodian, in Hubei, dated to around 300 BC.

* Many copies of the work were destroyed in the Burning of Books during the Qin dynasty.

The book has four writing forms:
# "codes" - the documentation of law codes and statutes;
# "written admonitions" - the conversations between emperors and ministers and those between ministers, as well as prayers at sacrificial rituals;
# "pledges" - the pledges made by emperors and vassals;
# "mandates" - the imperial mandates emperors made when appointing officials or rewarding vassals.

* The language of these documents is quite archaic, closely resembling inscriptions found on Western Zhou bronzes.

==Classic of Poetry==

* ''The Odes'' provided founding principles in composition and rhyme that were patterned by Chinese writers for well over two thousand years, and are thus a seminal influence on Chinese Classical poetry.

* ''The Odes'' preserve the descriptions of daily life among the ancient Chinese culture of the Yellow River watershed.

* Many of the poems are about basic human problems such as love, marriage, work, and war.

* Although the Shijing does not specify the names of authors in association with the contained works we have hints.

* The Odes became an important and controversial force, influencing political, social and educational phenomena.

==Copy of Powerpoint==

[https://www.box.com/s/p4edltjhq00o5fiorhml Can be found here]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

1. Terrace, Gloucester. "Statistical Notices of China." ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' Apr. 1833: 291-93. Print.

2. Creel, H., 1949, ''Confucius'', Harper.

3. Heinz, Carolyn B. ''Asia, A New Introduction'', Waveland Press. 1997

[[Category:Arnold Qin]]

The 5 Canonized Classics

2012-02-03T04:54:51Z

76.8.201.45:

<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>==History==

* These five books, or parts of them, were either commented, compiled, or edited by Confucius himself. [1] <ref>Test, test. Page 1. test</ref>

* Recent scholarship suggests, that Confucius did not write them.[2]

* However, Confucius did use the Shijing and the Shujing or Shangshu for learning exercises with his disciples.[3]

== I Ching ==
* The oldest manuscript that has been found, albeit incomplete, dates back to the Warring States Period.

* Traditionally, the I Ching and its hexagrams were thought to be before recorded history.

* It is suggested that the earliest layer of the text may date from the end of the 2nd millennium BC, but place doubts on the mythological aspects in the traditional accounts.

* Not the work of one or several legendary or historical figures.

* Is an accumulation of Western Zhou divinatory concepts.

* During the Warring States Period, the text was re-interpreted as a system of cosmology and philosophy

* Focused on the ideas of the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change.

* The heart of early Chinese philosophical thought, serving as a common ground for the Confucian and Taoist schools.

* ''I Ching'' had two distinct functions.
** A compendium and classic of ancient cosmic principles.
**Used as a divination text. In this case, used by marketplace fortune tellers and roadside oracles. These individuals served the illiterate peasantry.
=== Hexagrams ===

* 64 sets of the grid – many types.

* Each hexagram is accompanied with a description, often cryptic, akin to parables. Each line in every hexagram is also given a similar description.

* Article: ''Explication de l'Arithmétique Binaire'' (1703) Gottfried Leibniz : he found in the hexagrams a base for claiming the universality of the binary numeral system.
** Hexagrams possibly represented the binary sequences, so that ¦¦¦¦¦¦ would correspond to the binary sequence 000000 and ¦¦¦¦¦| would be 000001, and so forth.

== Spring and Autumn Annals ==

Because it was traditionally regarded as having been compiled by Confucius (after a claim to this effect by Mencius), it was included as one of the Five Classics of Chinese literature.

* Formed by various chroniclers from the State of Lu.

* The scope of events recorded in the book is quite limited.

* The focus is on various feudal states' diplomatic relations, alliances and military actions, as well as births and deaths among the ruling families.

* The chronicle also takes note of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, locusts and solar eclipses.

* Events are narrated in chronological order, dated by the reign-year of the Duke of Lu, the season, the month and the day.

* The annalist structure is followed strictly, to the extent of listing the four seasons of each year even when no events are recorded.

* The style is terse and impersonal, and gives no clue as to the actual authorship!

==Classic of Rites==

* It described the social forms, governmental system, and ancient/ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050–256 BCE).

* "The Burning of the Books." This occurred in 213 BCE when most traditional books were burned with the exception of books on war, medicine, astrology, agriculture, and divination.

* Some Confucian scholars had memorized the Classics and thus transmitted the Classics to their disciples who in turn recorded them in manuscripts.

* These disciples recorded each of the Classics from memory but the Classic of Music (Yuejing) could not be recompiled. However, a chapter in the Classic of Rites is the Record of Music (Yueji), which was derived from the lost Classic.

* The Classic of Rites was rewritten and edited by Confucius' disciples after the "Burning of the Books."

* Other scholars have attempted to shorten these scripts.
** Dai De who reworked the text in the 1st Century BCE, reducing the original 214 books to 85.
** Was later further reduced by his younger brother Dai Sheng to 46 books, to which three were added towards the end of the Han Dynasty, bringing the total to 49.

== Classic of History==
* The Classic of History was compiled between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, and reportedly included over 100 chapters.

* Many citations of its content can be found in the bamboo slips texts from the tombs of Guodian, in Hubei, dated to around 300 BC.

* Many copies of the work were destroyed in the Burning of Books during the Qin dynasty.

The book has four writing forms:
# "codes" - the documentation of law codes and statutes;
# "written admonitions" - the conversations between emperors and ministers and those between ministers, as well as prayers at sacrificial rituals;
# "pledges" - the pledges made by emperors and vassals;
# "mandates" - the imperial mandates emperors made when appointing officials or rewarding vassals.

* The language of these documents is quite archaic, closely resembling inscriptions found on Western Zhou bronzes.

==Classic of Poetry==

* ''The Odes'' provided founding principles in composition and rhyme that were patterned by Chinese writers for well over two thousand years, and are thus a seminal influence on Chinese Classical poetry.

* ''The Odes'' preserve the descriptions of daily life among the ancient Chinese culture of the Yellow River watershed.

* Many of the poems are about basic human problems such as love, marriage, work, and war.

* Although the Shijing does not specify the names of authors in association with the contained works we have hints.

* The Odes became an important and controversial force, influencing political, social and educational phenomena.

==Copy of Powerpoint==

[https://www.box.com/s/p4edltjhq00o5fiorhml Can be found here]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

1. Terrace, Gloucester. "Statistical Notices of China." ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' Apr. 1833: 291-93. Print.

2. Creel, H., 1949, ''Confucius'', Harper.

3. Heinz, Carolyn B. ''Asia, A New Introduction'', Waveland Press. 1997

[[Category:Arnold Qin]]

The 5 Canonized Classics

2012-02-01T03:39:37Z

76.8.201.45:

==History==

* These five books, or parts of them, were either commented, compiled, or edited by Confucius himself. [1] <ref>Test, test. Page 1. test</ref>

* Recent scholarship suggests, that Confucius did not write them.[2]

* However, Confucius did use the Shijing and the Shujing or Shangshu for learning exercises with his disciples.[3]

== I Ching ==
* The oldest manuscript that has been found, albeit incomplete, dates back to the Warring States Period.

* Traditionally, the I Ching and its hexagrams were thought to be before recorded history.

* It is suggested that the earliest layer of the text may date from the end of the 2nd millennium BC, but place doubts on the mythological aspects in the traditional accounts.

* Not the work of one or several legendary or historical figures.

* Is an accumulation of Western Zhou divinatory concepts.

* During the Warring States Period, the text was re-interpreted as a system of cosmology and philosophy

* Focused on the ideas of the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change.

* The heart of early Chinese philosophical thought, serving as a common ground for the Confucian and Taoist schools.

* ''I Ching'' had two distinct functions.
** A compendium and classic of ancient cosmic principles.
**Used as a divination text. In this case, used by marketplace fortune tellers and roadside oracles. These individuals served the illiterate peasantry.
=== Hexagrams ===

* 64 sets of the grid – many types.

* Each hexagram is accompanied with a description, often cryptic, akin to parables. Each line in every hexagram is also given a similar description.

* Article: ''Explication de l'Arithmétique Binaire'' (1703) Gottfried Leibniz : he found in the hexagrams a base for claiming the universality of the binary numeral system.
** Hexagrams possibly represented the binary sequences, so that ¦¦¦¦¦¦ would correspond to the binary sequence 000000 and ¦¦¦¦¦| would be 000001, and so forth.

== Spring and Autumn Annals ==

Because it was traditionally regarded as having been compiled by Confucius (after a claim to this effect by Mencius), it was included as one of the Five Classics of Chinese literature.

* Formed by various chroniclers from the State of Lu.

* The scope of events recorded in the book is quite limited.

* The focus is on various feudal states' diplomatic relations, alliances and military actions, as well as births and deaths among the ruling families.

* The chronicle also takes note of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, locusts and solar eclipses.

* Events are narrated in chronological order, dated by the reign-year of the Duke of Lu, the season, the month and the day.

* The annalist structure is followed strictly, to the extent of listing the four seasons of each year even when no events are recorded.

* The style is terse and impersonal, and gives no clue as to the actual authorship!

==Classic of Rites==

* It described the social forms, governmental system, and ancient/ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050–256 BCE).

* "The Burning of the Books." This occurred in 213 BCE when most traditional books were burned with the exception of books on war, medicine, astrology, agriculture, and divination.

* Some Confucian scholars had memorized the Classics and thus transmitted the Classics to their disciples who in turn recorded them in manuscripts.

* These disciples recorded each of the Classics from memory but the Classic of Music (Yuejing) could not be recompiled. However, a chapter in the Classic of Rites is the Record of Music (Yueji), which was derived from the lost Classic.

* The Classic of Rites was rewritten and edited by Confucius' disciples after the "Burning of the Books."

* Other scholars have attempted to shorten these scripts.
** Dai De who reworked the text in the 1st Century BCE, reducing the original 214 books to 85.
** Was later further reduced by his younger brother Dai Sheng to 46 books, to which three were added towards the end of the Han Dynasty, bringing the total to 49.

== Classic of History==
* The Classic of History was compiled between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, and reportedly included over 100 chapters.

* Many citations of its content can be found in the bamboo slips texts from the tombs of Guodian, in Hubei, dated to around 300 BC.

* Many copies of the work were destroyed in the Burning of Books during the Qin dynasty.

The book has four writing forms:
# "codes" - the documentation of law codes and statutes;
# "written admonitions" - the conversations between emperors and ministers and those between ministers, as well as prayers at sacrificial rituals;
# "pledges" - the pledges made by emperors and vassals;
# "mandates" - the imperial mandates emperors made when appointing officials or rewarding vassals.

* The language of these documents is quite archaic, closely resembling inscriptions found on Western Zhou bronzes.

==Classic of Poetry==

* ''The Odes'' provided founding principles in composition and rhyme that were patterned by Chinese writers for well over two thousand years, and are thus a seminal influence on Chinese Classical poetry.

* ''The Odes'' preserve the descriptions of daily life among the ancient Chinese culture of the Yellow River watershed.

* Many of the poems are about basic human problems such as love, marriage, work, and war.

* Although the Shijing does not specify the names of authors in association with the contained works we have hints.

* The Odes became an important and controversial force, influencing political, social and educational phenomena.

==Copy of Powerpoint==

[https://www.box.com/s/p4edltjhq00o5fiorhml Can be found here]

== References ==
{{reflist}}

1. Terrace, Gloucester. "Statistical Notices of China." ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' Apr. 1833: 291-93. Print.

2. Creel, H., 1949, ''Confucius'', Harper.

3. Heinz, Carolyn B. ''Asia, A New Introduction'', Waveland Press. 1997

[[Category:Arnold Qin]]

The 5 Canonized Classics

2012-02-01T03:38:18Z

76.8.201.45:

==History==

* These five books, or parts of them, were either commented, compiled, or edited by Confucius himself. [1] <ref>Test, test. Page 1. test</ref>

* Recent scholarship suggests, that Confucius did not write them.[2]

* However, Confucius did use the Shijing and the Shujing or Shangshu for learning exercises with his disciples.[3]

== I Ching ==
* The oldest manuscript that has been found, albeit incomplete, dates back to the Warring States Period.

* Traditionally, the I Ching and its hexagrams were thought to be before recorded history.

* It is suggested that the earliest layer of the text may date from the end of the 2nd millennium BC, but place doubts on the mythological aspects in the traditional accounts.

* Not the work of one or several legendary or historical figures.

* Is an accumulation of Western Zhou divinatory concepts.

* During the Warring States Period, the text was re-interpreted as a system of cosmology and philosophy

* Focused on the ideas of the dynamic balance of opposites, the evolution of events as a process, and acceptance of the inevitability of change.

* The heart of early Chinese philosophical thought, serving as a common ground for the Confucian and Taoist schools.

* ''I Ching'' had two distinct functions.
** A compendium and classic of ancient cosmic principles.
**Used as a divination text. In this case, used by marketplace fortune tellers and roadside oracles. These individuals served the illiterate peasantry.
=== Hexagrams ===

* 64 sets of the grid – many types.

* Each hexagram is accompanied with a description, often cryptic, akin to parables. Each line in every hexagram is also given a similar description.

* Article: ''Explication de l'Arithmétique Binaire'' (1703) Gottfried Leibniz : he found in the hexagrams a base for claiming the universality of the binary numeral system.
** Hexagrams possibly represented the binary sequences, so that ¦¦¦¦¦¦ would correspond to the binary sequence 000000 and ¦¦¦¦¦| would be 000001, and so forth.

== Spring and Autumn Annals ==

Because it was traditionally regarded as having been compiled by Confucius (after a claim to this effect by Mencius), it was included as one of the Five Classics of Chinese literature.

* Formed by various chroniclers from the State of Lu.

* The scope of events recorded in the book is quite limited.

* The focus is on various feudal states' diplomatic relations, alliances and military actions, as well as births and deaths among the ruling families.

* The chronicle also takes note of natural disasters such as floods, earthquakes, locusts and solar eclipses.

* Events are narrated in chronological order, dated by the reign-year of the Duke of Lu, the season, the month and the day.

* The annalist structure is followed strictly, to the extent of listing the four seasons of each year even when no events are recorded.

* The style is terse and impersonal, and gives no clue as to the actual authorship!

==Classic of Rites==

* It described the social forms, governmental system, and ancient/ceremonial rites of the Zhou Dynasty (c. 1050–256 BCE).

* "The Burning of the Books." This occurred in 213 BCE when most traditional books were burned with the exception of books on war, medicine, astrology, agriculture, and divination.

* Some Confucian scholars had memorized the Classics and thus transmitted the Classics to their disciples who in turn recorded them in manuscripts.

* These disciples recorded each of the Classics from memory but the Classic of Music (Yuejing) could not be recompiled. However, a chapter in the Classic of Rites is the Record of Music (Yueji), which was derived from the lost Classic.

* The Classic of Rites was rewritten and edited by Confucius' disciples after the "Burning of the Books."

* Other scholars have attempted to shorten these scripts.
** Dai De who reworked the text in the 1st Century BCE, reducing the original 214 books to 85.
** Was later further reduced by his younger brother Dai Sheng to 46 books, to which three were added towards the end of the Han Dynasty, bringing the total to 49.

== Classic of History==
* The Classic of History was compiled between the 6th and 4th centuries BC, and reportedly included over 100 chapters.

* Many citations of its content can be found in the bamboo slips texts from the tombs of Guodian, in Hubei, dated to around 300 BC.

* Many copies of the work were destroyed in the Burning of Books during the Qin dynasty.

The book has four writing forms:
# "codes" - the documentation of law codes and statutes;
# "written admonitions" - the conversations between emperors and ministers and those between ministers, as well as prayers at sacrificial rituals;
# "pledges" - the pledges made by emperors and vassals;
# "mandates" - the imperial mandates emperors made when appointing officials or rewarding vassals.

* The language of these documents is quite archaic, closely resembling inscriptions found on Western Zhou bronzes.

==Classic of Poetry==

* ''The Odes'' provided founding principles in composition and rhyme that were patterned by Chinese writers for well over two thousand years, and are thus a seminal influence on Chinese Classical poetry.

* ''The Odes'' preserve the descriptions of daily life among the ancient Chinese culture of the Yellow River watershed.

* Many of the poems are about basic human problems such as love, marriage, work, and war.

* Although the Shijing does not specify the names of authors in association with the contained works we have hints.

* The Odes became an important and controversial force, influencing political, social and educational phenomena.

==Copy of Powerpoint==

[https://www.box.com/s/p4edltjhq00o5fiorhml Can be found here]

== References ==

1. Terrace, Gloucester. "Statistical Notices of China." ''The Gentleman's Magazine'' Apr. 1833: 291-93. Print.

2. Creel, H., 1949, ''Confucius'', Harper.

3. Heinz, Carolyn B. ''Asia, A New Introduction'', Waveland Press. 1997

[[Category:Arnold Qin]]