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古文观止 The Ultimate Anthology of Ancient Prose - Timeless appeal of ultimate anthology
May 12, 2013, Sunday
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Print Edition
"GUWEN Guanzhi," or "The Ultimate Anthology of Ancient Prose," is the most popular and most read collection of prose written in classic Chinese.
First published in 1695, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the anthology was compiled by Wu Chucai (circa 1655-1719) and his nephew Wu Diaohou, both of whom were village private school teachers for most of their lives.
They came from today's Shaoxing City in east China's Zhejiang Province, and neither found much success in the imperial civil service examinations. This curtailed their ambitions for careers in officialdom, the ultimate goal of most scholars at that time.
Prose from classic China had already been the main subject in rudimentary education in the country for hundreds of years by the time the Wus were teaching. Through teaching children classic Chinese prose year after year, the pair gained a better understanding of the texts and developed a strong interest in these writings.
As a result, they decided to select ancient prose texts that they believed were most beautifully written and very easy to memorize and recite for their students. They tested and revised their selections through their teaching over many years.
Then they sent the book to their relative Wu Xingzuo (1632-1697), a high-ranking imperial official, for proofreading and editing. The latter also wrote a preface for the anthology and had it printed in 1695.
The collection comprises 222 works written over more than 1,800 years, stretching from the early years of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) to the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Arranged in 22 volumes and seven historical periods, the book encompasses a great variety of styles and a wide range of topics.
For instance, it includes the cream of ancient narratives as well as expository prose, and even includes a special kind of prose called pianwen - or parallel prose - consisting of four- or six-character blocks.
Topics covered by the texts include diplomatic debates, imperial edicts, official documents, records of events, book prefaces, epigraphs, imperial examination papers, travel notes, folk stories and even job applications.
One of the most read pieces is the "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng," written by Wang Bo (AD 649-676), one of the best-known poets of the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
The pavilion, located in today's Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, is one of the most famous examples of ancient Chinese architecture. Wang's prose, to mark the completion a major renovation of the building, has not only found its way into today's student textbooks, it has also made the pavilion a household name in China.
Other well-known texts are the two "Chu Shi Biao," or "Northern Expedition Memorial (I, II)," by Zhuge Liang, prime minister of the Kingdom of Shu Han (AD 221-263) and a strategist, statesman, scholar and inventor.
The two memorial documents record Zhuge's first and second northern expeditions of the Kingdom of Wei (AD 220-265), plus his own history.
Some of the episodes, such as Liu Bei's three visits to Zhuge's thatched hut, later became popular folk stories and have been adapted into stage plays, picture books, ballads and TV series. Liu Bei was the first ruler of the Kingdom of Shu Han.
Thanks to its compilers' elegant literary taste and meticulous work, "Guwen Guanzhi" has enjoyed great popularity among Chinese speakers for more than 300 years.
Several texts from the anthology have been selected for textbooks widely used in China's middle schools.
Most Chinese scholars agree that this "ultimate anthology" is suitable for all people, beginners or specialists, who are interested in classic Chinese and hail it as a gem of "perpetual charm" in the history of Chinese literature.
First published in 1695, during the reign of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), the anthology was compiled by Wu Chucai (circa 1655-1719) and his nephew Wu Diaohou, both of whom were village private school teachers for most of their lives.
They came from today's Shaoxing City in east China's Zhejiang Province, and neither found much success in the imperial civil service examinations. This curtailed their ambitions for careers in officialdom, the ultimate goal of most scholars at that time.
Prose from classic China had already been the main subject in rudimentary education in the country for hundreds of years by the time the Wus were teaching. Through teaching children classic Chinese prose year after year, the pair gained a better understanding of the texts and developed a strong interest in these writings.
As a result, they decided to select ancient prose texts that they believed were most beautifully written and very easy to memorize and recite for their students. They tested and revised their selections through their teaching over many years.
Then they sent the book to their relative Wu Xingzuo (1632-1697), a high-ranking imperial official, for proofreading and editing. The latter also wrote a preface for the anthology and had it printed in 1695.
The collection comprises 222 works written over more than 1,800 years, stretching from the early years of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) to the end of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644).
Arranged in 22 volumes and seven historical periods, the book encompasses a great variety of styles and a wide range of topics.
For instance, it includes the cream of ancient narratives as well as expository prose, and even includes a special kind of prose called pianwen - or parallel prose - consisting of four- or six-character blocks.
Topics covered by the texts include diplomatic debates, imperial edicts, official documents, records of events, book prefaces, epigraphs, imperial examination papers, travel notes, folk stories and even job applications.
One of the most read pieces is the "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng," written by Wang Bo (AD 649-676), one of the best-known poets of the early Tang Dynasty (AD 618-907).
The pavilion, located in today's Nanchang, capital of east China's Jiangxi Province, is one of the most famous examples of ancient Chinese architecture. Wang's prose, to mark the completion a major renovation of the building, has not only found its way into today's student textbooks, it has also made the pavilion a household name in China.
Other well-known texts are the two "Chu Shi Biao," or "Northern Expedition Memorial (I, II)," by Zhuge Liang, prime minister of the Kingdom of Shu Han (AD 221-263) and a strategist, statesman, scholar and inventor.
The two memorial documents record Zhuge's first and second northern expeditions of the Kingdom of Wei (AD 220-265), plus his own history.
Some of the episodes, such as Liu Bei's three visits to Zhuge's thatched hut, later became popular folk stories and have been adapted into stage plays, picture books, ballads and TV series. Liu Bei was the first ruler of the Kingdom of Shu Han.
Thanks to its compilers' elegant literary taste and meticulous work, "Guwen Guanzhi" has enjoyed great popularity among Chinese speakers for more than 300 years.
Several texts from the anthology have been selected for textbooks widely used in China's middle schools.
Most Chinese scholars agree that this "ultimate anthology" is suitable for all people, beginners or specialists, who are interested in classic Chinese and hail it as a gem of "perpetual charm" in the history of Chinese literature.
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