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Biji (Chinese Literature)
''Biji'' () is a special literary genre in classical Chinese literature. Literally "Notebook (style), notebook" or "written notes". There is no strict writing mode for ''biji,'' it is a literary form mainly based on recording personal insights, experiences, miscellaneous sensations, and trifles, and it is known for its characteristics of scattered notes and trivial records. A book of ''biji'' can contain stories, anecdotes, quotations, random musings, philological speculations, literary criticism and indeed everything that the author deems worth recording. Genre and evolution The genre a long history back to the early tradition of 'notes on the strange' (Zhiguai xiaoshuo, zhiguai) in the Wei-Jin dynasty (266–420), Jin period (3rd to 4th centuries A.D.), and matured during the Tang dynasty. From the Wei-Jin to Tang Dynasties, the Chinese produced many great biji which organized ancient knowledge of myriad things in patterns that are far different from the more orthodox Song bij ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Liu Yiming
Liu Yiming (1734–1821) was a Chinese ophthalmologist, philosopher, and writer. He was one of the main representatives of Taoist Internal Alchemy, or Neidan. He was an 11th-generation master of one of the northern branches of the Longmen 龍門 (Dragon Gate) lineage, and the author of a large number of works that illustrate his views on both Taoism and Neidan. Life Liu Yiming was born in 1734 in Quwo, Pingyang 平陽 (in present-day Linfen, Shanxi). Before he reached the age of 20, he was severely ill three times (Sun Yongle 2011:302). After recovery, he began to travel, and in 1755 he met his first master, whom he calls the Kangu Laoren 龕谷老人 (Elder of the Kangu Valley). Between 1756 and 1761, he lived in Beijing, and later moved to Henan where he worked as a doctor (Sun Yongle 2011:302). In 1766 he resumed traveling, and around 1768 he met the Xianliu zhangren 遇仙留丈 (Great Man Who Rests in Immortality), who became his main master. As Liu Yiming reports in one ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
What The Master Would Not Discuss
''What the Master Would Not Discuss'' (, alternatively known as Xin Qixie ) is a collection of supernatural stories compiled by Qing Dynasty scholar and writer Yuan Mei. The work has also been called ''What the Master Does not Speak of'' and other such titles, as well as ''Censored by Confucius'' in one translated work of selected tales. Title The title of the work ''Zi bu yu'' refers to the passage of the ''Analects'' of Confucius that states, "The topics the Master did not speak of were prodigies, force, disorder and gods"Lau, D. C. tr. (1982) 979''Confucius: The Analects'', Book Seven, p. 88 ''apud'' , p. xxiii His reference to the master was criticised as a 'heretical' use of Confucian texts. Yuan later changed the title to ''Xin Qixie'' ( zh, t=新齊諧, s=新齐谐, labels=no, "New Wonder Tales of Qi/from Qi") when he discovered there was a Yuan dynasty text with the title ''What the Master Would Not Discuss''. However, Yuan's collection is still commonly known by its o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Strange Tales From A Chinese Studio
''Liaozhai zhiyi'', sometimes shortened to ''Liaozhai'', known in English as ''Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio'' or ''Strange Stories from a Chinese Studio'', is a collection of Classical Chinese stories by Qing dynasty writer Pu Songling, comprising close to 500 stories or "marvel tales" in the ''zhiguai'' and ''chuanqi'' styles, which according to some critics, served to implicitly criticise societal problems. Written in the late 1600s, its earliest publication date is given as 1740. Since then, many of the critically lauded stories have been adapted for other media such as film and television. Publication history Pu is believed to have completed the majority of the tales sometime in 1679, when he wrote the preface to the anthology, though he could have added entries as late as 1707. However, according to Chinese scholar Zhang Peiheng (), the original ''Liaozhai'' comprised eight volumes, the earliest and latest of which were completed around 1681 and 1707 to 1714 respect ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Taiping Guangji
The ''Taiping Guangji'' (), sometimes translated as the ''Extensive Records of the Taiping Era'', or ''Extensive Records of the Taiping Xinguo Period'', is a collection of stories compiled in the early Song dynasty. The work was completed in 978, and printing blocks were cut, but it was prevented from publication on the grounds that it contained only ''xiaoshuo'' (fiction or "insignificant tellings") and thus "was of no use to young students." It survived in manuscript until it was published in the Ming dynasty. It is considered one of the ''Four Great Books of Song'' (宋四大書). The title refers to the Taiping Xinguo era (太平興國, "great-peace rejuvenate-nation", 976–984 AD), the first years of the reign of Emperor Taizong of Song. The collection is divided into 500 volumes () and consists of about 3 million Chinese characters. It includes 7,021 stories selected from over three hundred books and novels from the Han dynasty to the early Song dynasty, many of which have ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baopuzi
The ''Baopuzi'' () is a literary work written by Ge Hong (also transliterated as Ko Hung) (), 283–343, a scholar during the turbulent Jin dynasty. ''Baopuzi'' is divided into two main sections, the esoteric ''Neipian'' () "Inner Chapters" and equally exoteric ''Waipian'' () "Outer Chapters". The Taoist Inner Chapters discuss topics such as techniques to achieve "hsien" () "immortality; transcendence", Chinese alchemy, elixirs, and demonology. The Confucian Outer Chapters discuss Chinese literature, Legalism, politics, and society. Title The eponymous title ''Baopuzi'' derives from Ge Hong's ''hao'' (), the ''hao'' being a type of sobriquet or pseudonym. Baopuzi literally means "The Master Who Embraces Simplicity;" compounded from the words ''bao'' () meaning "embrace; hug; carry; hold in both arms; cherish"; '' pu'' () meaning "uncarved wood", also being a Taoist metaphor for a "person's original nature; simple; plain"; and, ''zi'' ( 子) meaning "child; offspring; maste ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ming Dynasty
The Ming dynasty (), officially the Great Ming, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China, ruling from 1368 to 1644 following the collapse of the Mongol Empire, Mongol-led Yuan dynasty. The Ming dynasty was the last orthodox dynasty of China ruled by the Han Chinese, Han people, the majority ethnic group in China. Although the primary capital of Beijing fell in 1644 to a rebellion led by Li Zicheng (who established the short-lived Shun dynasty), numerous rump state, rump regimes ruled by remnants of the House of Zhu, Ming imperial family—collectively called the Southern Ming—survived until 1662. The Ming dynasty's founder, the Hongwu Emperor (r. 1368–1398), attempted to create a society of self-sufficient rural communities ordered in a rigid, immobile system that would guarantee and support a permanent class of soldiers for his dynasty: the empire's standing army exceeded one million troops and the naval history of China, navy's dockyards in Nanjin ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hong Mai
Hong Mai (, 1123 Poyang County, Poyang-1202 Hangzhou), courtesy name Jinglu (), art name Yechu () and Rongzhai (), was a Chinese statesman, Confucianism, Confucian scholar and writer during the Southern Song dynasty. He was the author of ''Yijianzhi'' () and ''Rongzhai Suibi'' (). Life Hong was born in the year of 1123 in Poyang County, Poyang. His father Hong Hao was a Song official who participated the negotiations between Song and Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Jin during the wars of Jingkang incident, Jingkang era. He also had two elder brothers whose name were Hong Kuo and Hong Zun respectively. In 1145, with the favor of Emperor Gaozong of Song, Hong Mai was given a government post in the department of transportation (Zhuanyun Si). In 1162, Hong Mai was sent to Jin dynasty (1115–1234), Jurchen Empire; which ruled the northern half of China at the time; as a diplomat. During his stay in the north, he tried to establish a truce in Shandong but the Jurchens were not ready to ac ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shen Kua
Shen Kuo (; 1031–1095) or Shen Gua, courtesy name Cunzhong (存中) and pseudonym Mengqi (now usually given as Mengxi) Weng (夢溪翁),Yao (2003), 544. was a Chinese polymathic scientist and statesman of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Shen was a master in many fields of study including mathematics, optics, and horology. In his career as a civil servant, he became a finance minister, governmental state inspector, head official for the Bureau of Astronomy in the Song court, Assistant Minister of Imperial Hospitality, and also served as an academic chancellor.Needham (1986), Volume 4, Part 2, 33. At court his political allegiance was to the Reformist faction known as the New Policies Group, headed by Chancellor Wang Anshi (1021–1085). In his '' Dream Pool Essays'' or ''Dream Torrent Essays'' (; ''Mengxi Bitan'') of 1088, Shen was the first to describe the magnetic needle compass, which would be used for navigation (first described in Europe by Alexander Neckam in 1187).Bo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dream Pool Essays
''The Dream Pool Essays'' (or ''Dream Torrent Essays'') was an extensive book written by the Chinese polymath and statesman Shen Kuo (1031–1095), published in 1088 during the Song dynasty (960–1279) of China. Shen compiled this encyclopedic work while living in forced retirement from government office, naming the book after his private estate near modern Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province. The ''Dream Pool Essays'' was heavily reorganized in reprint editions by later Chinese authors from the late 11th to 17th centuries. In modern times it has been translated from Chinese into several languages. These include English, German, French, and Japanese translations. The ''Dream Pool Essays'' covers a range of topics including discoveries and advancements in Traditional Chinese medicine, mathematics, astronomy, science and technology, optics, architecture and civil engineering, metallurgy, and early archaeology. Observations of the natural world included those of wildlife, meteorolog ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Duan Chengshi
Duan Chengshi () (died 863) was a Chinese poet and writer of the Tang Dynasty. He was born to a wealthy family in present-day Zibo, Shandong. A descendant of the early Tang official Duan Zhixuan (, ''Duàn Zhìxuán'') (-642), and the son of Duan Wenchang (, ''Duàn Wénchāng''), a high official under Tang Xuanzong, his family background enabled him to obtain office without taking the Imperial exams. As a poet, he was associated with Li Shangyin and Wen Tingyun. Duan is best known outside of China for being the author of an early version of Cinderella, called ''Ye Xian''. In 853, the story first appeared in ''Miscellaneous Morsels from Youyang'', which was published shortly after he returned to Chang'an after his term of acting Governor of Jizhou (now known as Ji'an in Jiangsu). It is believed that it was a folktale told by peasants before it was recorded on paper. Some people even believe that the French author Charles Perrault copied Duan's version, only he renamed it and slig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance: a play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a genre of poetry in general, the dramatic mode has been contrasted with the epic and the lyrical modes ever since Aristotle's '' Poetics'' (c. 335 BC)—the earliest work of dramatic theory. The term "drama" comes from a Greek word meaning "deed" or " act" (Classical Greek: , ''drâma''), which is derived from "I do" (Classical Greek: , ''dráō''). The two masks associated with drama represent the traditional generic division between comedy and tragedy. In English (as was the analogous case in many other European languages), the word ''play'' or ''game'' (translating the Anglo-Saxon ''pleġan'' or Latin ''ludus'') was the standard term for dramas until William Shakespeare's time—just as its creator was a ''play-maker'' rather than a ''dramatist'' and the building was a ''play-house'' r ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
