Traditional Chinese

The Chinese literature comprises a great number of traditional texts in poetry and prose dating from the dynasty of the Zhou Orientaux among which one finds the traditional Chinese listed in the Chinese guns . Some of them are allotted to Confucius but it could have been only their compiler. The importance attached to these old texts which are the philosophical base allows the continuity of the Chinese culture.

The study of the Four Books and the Traditional Five (四書五經, 四书五经, Sìshūwǔjīng) was obligatory for the students who wished to become civils servant. Any political discussion was enamelled references to this common base and it was not possible to become well-read man, or even military officer, without knowing them to perfection.

List traditional Chinese

Four Books

The Four Books (四書, 四书, Sìshū) are four traditional Chinese texts compiled by Zhu Xi during the Dynastie Song to be used as introduction to Chinese philosophy and the Confucianisme.

  • the Analectes de Confucius (論語, 论语, Lúnyǔ), compilation of words allotted to Confucius and gathered by its disciples.

  • the Mencius (孟子 Mèngzǐ), a book of talks between Mencius and the kings of his time.
  • the Great Study (大學, 大学, Dàxué), corresponding in the name of a chapter of the Book of the Rites.
  • the Invariable Medium (中庸 Zhōngyōng), which one could also translate median Voie or Moyen , the name of another chapter of the Livre of the Rites.

The Traditional Five

According to the tradition, the Five Traditional (Sinogramme S 五 经 simpl. / 五 經 transl. , pinyin: Wǔjīng) were compiled by Confucius itself.

  1. the Traditional of the changes or Yi King (易經, 易经, Yìjīng)

  2. : A handbook of divination based on the Eight trigrams and allotted to the emperor Fu Xi. At the time of Confucius these 8 trigrams were multiplied to obtain 64 Hexagramme S.
  3. the Classique of the worms (詩經, 诗经, Shījīng)
  4. : A book made up of 305 poems divided into 160 songs; 74 minor festive songs, traditionally sung at the time of the festivities of court; 31 major festive songs, sung at the time of more solemn ceremonies of course; 40 anthems and Eulogie S sung at the time of sacrifices to the gods and the spirits of the ancestors in the royal house. This book is generally regarded as a compilation carried out by Confucius.
  5. the Traditional of the documents (書經, 书经, Shūjīng)
  6. : A whole of documents and speeches which would have been written by the leaders and the official ones of the Dynastie Zhou. It contains examples of the Chinese prose of the first times.
  7. the Book of the rites (禮記, 礼记, Lǐjì)
  8. : A restoration of the book Lǐjīng lost in IIIe century before JC which describes the old rites and the ceremonies of court.
  9. Yearly of Springs and the Falls (春秋 Chūnqiū, alias 麟經, 麟经 Línjīng)
  10. : A historical description of the State of Lu, from where Confucius is native, of -722 with -479. It is supposed to be written or compiled by Confucius, and constitutes an implicit judgment of the murders, incestes and other swindles.
  • the Classique of the music (樂經, 乐经, Yuèjīng) is sometimes quoted like the sixth traditional one, but was lost during the Dynastie Han.

One adds four more other traditional to compose the nine traditional ones (九 經, jiujing), and still four others to form the traditional thirteen (十 三 經, shisan jing).

The traditional ones of the Taoism

  • the Traditional of the way and the virtue or (道德經, 道德经, Dàodéjīng) allotted to Lao Zi.
  • the Zhuang Zi, allotted to the philosopher of the same name, 莊子 Zhuāngzǐ.
  • the traditional Vrai of the perfect vacuum, allotted to Binds-Zi.
  • From the end of Han, each school develops its own gun (gun of Shangqing, gun of Lingbao etc).
  • Of many important texts is gathered in the Canon taoist whose current version dates essentially from the Ming.

The traditional ones of the Mohisme

  • Mo Zi, allotted to the philosopher of the same name

The traditional ones of the Légisme

  • Guan Zi, allotted by the tradition to Guan Zhong, actually a work gathering several currents, probably a compilation of the writings of the boarders of the Academy Jixia
  • Han Fei Zi, allotted to Han Fei.
  • Shen Zi, allotted to Shen Buhai, and lost.
  • Shen Zi, allotted to Shen CAD, and probably lost.
  • the Book of the Laws gold F Jing allotted to Li Kui.

The traditional ones of the Art of warfare

  • the Art of the war, allotted to Sun Zi
  • the 36 stratagems, recently discovered

The traditional ones of the History of China

  • 24 stories, a compilation of references founded concerning the history of China
  • the Annales of Springs and the Falls of Zuo, or Annals of Zuo (Zuo Zhuan), allotted to Zuo Qiuming.
  • the Speech of the States or Guoyu, a compilation of historical events of the many States during the Period of Springs and the Falls.
  • the Strategies of the Kingdoms Combatants or Zhan Guo This, allotted to Liu Xiang.
  • Yearly of Springs and the Falls of Wu and Yue or Wu Yue Chunqiu compilation of historical events of the States of Wu and Yue during the Period of Springs and the Falls, and allotted to Zhae Ye.
  • Yearly of bamboo, chronicle of Antiquity with -299, relating to more particularly the State of Jin starting from VIIIe front century J. - C., then the State of Wei starting from Ve front century J. - C.
  • Yearly of Springs and the Falls of the sixteen kingdoms, or Shiliuguo Chunqiu, a historical compilation of the Sixteen Kingdoms, allotted to Cui Hong, and lost today.
  • the Zizhi Tongjian, allotted to Sima Guang.
  • Yearly of Springs and the Lu Falls Buwei or Lüshi Chunqiu (呂氏春秋), allotted to Lu Buwei.

Other Traditional

  • the Traditional of the filial devotion or Xiao Jing (孝經 Xiao Jing)
  • the Traditional of the thousand characters or Qian zi Wen (千字文 Qian zi Wen)

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • Chinese Text Project - Traditional Chinese
  • Traditional Chinese (English)
  • old China Collection - downloadable canonical books

Zh-Cn: 中文古典典籍

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