''Guwen Guanzhi'' () is an anthology of essays written in
literary Chinese
Classical Chinese, also known as Literary Chinese (古文 ''gǔwén'' "ancient text", or 文言 ''wényán'' "text speak", meaning
"literary language/speech"; modern vernacular: 文言文 ''wényánwén'' "text speak text", meaning
"literar ...
. It was first published during the
Qing dynasty
The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-speak ...
in 1695. It comprises more than two hundred works from the
Warring States period
The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...
to the
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 ort ...
. Today the anthology (in whole but mostly in part) is widely used as required or supplementary reading material of literary Chinese in schools in the
Greater China Region
Greater China is an informal geographical area that shares commercial and cultural ties with the Han Chinese, Han Chinese people. The notion of "Greater China" refers to the area that usually encompasses Mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Tai ...
, including the
Mainland China
"Mainland China" is a geopolitical term defined as the territory governed by the People's Republic of China (including islands like Hainan or Chongming), excluding dependent territories of the PRC, and other territories within Greater China. ...
,
Hong Kong
Hong Kong ( (US) or (UK); , ), officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China ( abbr. Hong Kong SAR or HKSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China on the eastern Pearl River Delt ...
,
Macao
Macau or Macao (; ; ; ), officially the Macao Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China (MSAR), is a city and special administrative region of China in the western Pearl River Delta by the South China Sea. With a pop ...
and
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...
.
Structure
''Guwen Guanzhi'' has a total of 221 texts. The texts are arranged by period, and originally the book consisted of 12 fascicles (''juan'', 卷). The composition is as follows:
*
Zhou dynasty
The Zhou dynasty ( ; Old Chinese ( B&S): *''tiw'') was a royal dynasty of China that followed the Shang dynasty. Having lasted 789 years, the Zhou dynasty was the longest dynastic regime in Chinese history. The military control of China by th ...
(1045–221 BC), fascicles 1–3, 56 texts; from ''
Zuo Zhuan'' 34 texts,
''Guoyu'' 11, ''
Gongyang Zhuan
The ''Gongyang Zhuan'' (), also known as the ''Gongyang Commentary on the Spring and Autumn Annals'' or the ''Commentary of Gongyang'', is a commentary on the ''Spring and Autumn Annals'', and is thus one of the Chinese classics. Along with the '' ...
'' 3, ''
Guliang Zhuan
The () is considered one of the classic books of ancient Chinese history. It is traditionally attributed to a writer with the surname of Guliang in the disciple tradition of Zixia, but versions of his name vary and there is no definitive way to ...
'' 2, ''
Liji
The ''Book of Rites'', also known as the ''Liji'', is a collection of texts describing the social forms, administration, and ceremonial rites of the Zhou dynasty as they were understood in the Warring States and the early Han periods. The ''Book o ...
'': ”Tangong” 6
*
Qin dynasty
The Qin dynasty ( ; zh, c=秦朝, p=Qín cháo, w=), or Ch'in dynasty in Wade–Giles romanization ( zh, c=, p=, w=Ch'in ch'ao), was the first Dynasties in Chinese history, dynasty of Imperial China. Named for its heartland in Qin (state), ...
(221–206 BC), fascicle 4, 17 texts; from ''
Zhan Guo Ce
The ''Zhan Guo Ce'', (Wade-Giles, W-G: Chan-kuo T'se) also known in English language, English as the ''Strategies of the Warring States'' or ''Annals of the Warring States'', is an ancient Chinese text that contains anecdotes of political manipu ...
'' 14 texts, by
Li Si
Li Si (Mandarin: ; BCSeptember or October 208 BC) was a Chinese philosopher, politician, and calligrapher of the Qin dynasty. He served as Chancellor (or Prime Minister) from 246 to 208 BC under two rulers: Qin Shi Huang, the king of the Qin ...
one text, two Chu
''ci'' poems
*
Han dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
(206 BC–220), fascicles 5–6, 31 texts; from ''
Shiji
''Records of the Grand Historian'', also known by its Chinese name ''Shiji'', is a monumental history of China that is the first of China's 24 dynastic histories. The ''Records'' was written in the early 1st century by the ancient Chinese hist ...
'' and by
Sima Qian
Sima Qian (; ; ) was a Chinese historian of the early Han dynasty (206AD220). He is considered the father of Chinese historiography for his ''Records of the Grand Historian'', a general history of China covering more than two thousand years b ...
15 texts; also texts from ''
Hanshu
The ''Book of Han'' or ''History of the Former Han'' (Qián Hàn Shū,《前汉书》) is a history of China finished in 111AD, covering the Western, or Former Han dynasty from the first emperor in 206 BCE to the fall of Wang Mang in 23 CE. I ...
'', ''
Hou Hanshu
The ''Book of the Later Han'', also known as the ''History of the Later Han'' and by its Chinese language, Chinese name ''Hou Hanshu'' (), is one of the Twenty-Four Histories and covers the history of the Han dynasty from 6 to 189 CE, a period ...
'', ''Xinshu'' and by various writers including
Zhuge Liang
Zhuge Liang ( zh, t=諸葛亮 / 诸葛亮) (181 – September 234), courtesy name Kongming, was a Chinese statesman and military strategist. He was chancellor and later regent of the state of Shu Han during the Three Kingdoms period. He is r ...
*
Six dynasties
Six Dynasties (; 220–589 or 222–589) is a collective term for six Han-ruled Chinese dynasties that existed from the early 3rd century AD to the late 6th century AD. The Six Dynasties period overlapped with the era of the Sixteen Kingdoms, ...
(222–589), fascicle 7, 6 texts by one writer from Western Jin/Shu, two from Eastern Jin and one from Southern Qi
*
Tang dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
(618–907), fascicles 7–9, 43 texts by 9 writers
*
Song dynasty
The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
(960–1279), fascicles 9–11, 51 texts by 12 writers (all from Northern Song)
*
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 ort ...
(1368–1644), fascicle 12, 18 texts by 12 writers
Most of the texts are prose written in the "ancient style" which
''guwen'' (古文) refers to. The selection includes also three (or four) pieces written in ”parallel prose” (usually not regarded as ''guwen''), as well as three
''ci'' and four
''fu'' prose poems. ''Guanzhi'' (literally "read-end") is an idiom meaning "good beyond comparison; cream of the crop."
''Guwen Guanzhi'' was first and foremost produced as a practical study aid. The compilers avoided overly difficult texts and made their explanations as clear and concise as possible. In its own time, ''Guwen Guanzhi's'' main assets were its ideal size (in terms of number and length of the selected texts), the relative comprehensiveness of its selection, lack of an overly moralistic or tendentious approach, and good notes and comments. The same features have helped the anthology survive through centuries.
Origin
''Guwen Guanzhi'' was compiled and edited by
Wu Chucai and
Wu Diaohou, who at the time of the publication were working as teachers in a private village school in
Shaoxing
Shaoxing (; ) is a prefecture-level city on the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay in northeastern Zhejiang province, China. It was formerly known as Kuaiji and Shanyin and abbreviated in Chinese as (''Yuè'') from the area's former inhabitants. ...
. Very little is known of Wu Chucai (given name Wu Chengquan 吳乘權,
sobriquet
A sobriquet ( ), or soubriquet, is a nickname, sometimes assumed, but often given by another, that is descriptive. A sobriquet is distinct from a pseudonym, as it is typically a familiar name used in place of a real name, without the need of expla ...
Chucai, 楚才, 1655–1719), except that he was originally from Shaoxing and never became part of the established literati. Wu Diaohou (given name Wu Dazhi 吳大職,
courtesy name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich Theobald ...
Diaohou, 調侯) was his younger nephew.
Wu Chucai started working on the anthology in 1678 in
Fujian
Fujian (; alternately romanized as Fukien or Hokkien) is a province on the southeastern coast of China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, Guangdong to the south, and the Taiwan Strait to the east. Its capi ...
where he had travelled to take on duties as a private secretary for his uncle, high imperial official
Wu Xingzuo (吳興祚, 1632–97). His nephew joined him in the work later.
The anthology was originally published in two editions. The first edition of the 34th year of the
Kangxi Emperor
The Kangxi Emperor (4 May 1654– 20 December 1722), also known by his temple name Emperor Shengzu of Qing, born Xuanye, was the third emperor of the Qing dynasty, and the second Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1661 to 1 ...
's reign (1695, place of printing unknown) has the preface by Wu Xingzuo, which in the second edition of 1697 has been replaced by the preface of Wu Chucai and Wu Diaohou. The 1697 edition also contained some corrections and changes on the notes and commentaries, but was otherwise of lower quality than the first edition. Only the first edition has been the basis for all following editions (through two
Qianlong era
The Qianlong Emperor (25 September 17117 February 1799), also known by his temple name Emperor Gaozong of Qing, born Hongli, was the fifth Emperor of the Qing dynasty and the fourth Qing emperor to rule over China proper, reigning from 1735 t ...
editions).
Analysis shows that the composition of ''Guwen Guanzhi'' is heavily based on a former anthology produced by an altogether different compiler. Though the "blueprint" has often been presumed to be the "imperial" anthology ''
Guwen yuanjian'' (古文淵鑑), edited during early Qing dynasty under the personal supervision of the Kangxi Emperor, and including the standard commentaries required for the
imperial examinations
The imperial examination (; lit. "subject recommendation") refers to a civil-service examination system in Imperial China, administered for the purpose of selecting candidates for the state bureaucracy. The concept of choosing bureaucrats by ...
, this has proven not to be the case. Instead, altogether almost 90% of the texts in ''Guwen Guanzhi'' originate from another Qing era anthology, ''
Guwen xiyi'' (古文析義), often copied character by character. However, the notes and commentaries are all different.
''Guwen xiyi'' was compiled and edited by
Lin Yunming (林雲銘, 1628–97, Fujian). Lin Yunming was a mid-ranking official who had passed the metropolitan examination (''
jinshi
''Jinshi'' () was the highest and final degree in the imperial examination in Imperial China. The examination was usually taken in the imperial capital in the palace, and was also called the Metropolitan Exam. Recipients are sometimes referre ...
'') in 1658. An earlier version of Lin's manuscript "is said to have been lost in the course of the 'Fujian troubles' ...", referring to the
Revolt of the Three Feudatories
The Revolt of the Three Feudatories, () also known as the Rebellion of Wu Sangui, was a rebellion in China lasting from 1673 to 1681, during the early reign of the Kangxi Emperor (r. 1661–1722) of the Qing dynasty (1644–1912). The revolt was ...
. In 1674, Lin was imprisoned by the pro-Ming rebels, who in turn were defeated by the troops under the command of Wu Xingzuo and others in 1675. ''Guwen xiyi'' was published in 1682.
[Kallio, 48, 64.]
References
Kallio, Jyrki: ''Enlightenment for the Masses. Confucian Education in the Manner of Guwen guanzhi.'' Gaudeamus Helsinki University Press. Helsinki (e-book) 2011. {{ISBN, 978-952-495-607-9.
External links
* Kallio, Jyrki (2011)
''Enlightenment for the Masses. Confucian Education in the Manner of Guwen guanzhi.''* Kallio, Jyrki (2020)
between the Lines of a Classical Chinese Prose Anthology. Guwen guanzhi as a Subtle Challenge to State Orthodoxy.''The Journal of the European Association for Chinese Studies, Vol. 1 (2020), pp. 59-87.
1695 books
Anthologies
Chinese classic texts