Illustrated Dictionary of Ancient Chinese Cultural Knowledge

Author: Wang Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-06-01
Features: The book consists of fourteen chapters, with titles in the following order: Astronomy and Calendar, which correspond to fourteen themes. These themes are relatively independent yet interconnected, and can be divided into four units.
Unit 1: Astronomy, Calendar, and Music Theory
This is the first three chapters of the book, covering the "astronomy" aspect of ancient Chinese culture. Ancient Chinese astronomy differs from Western astronomy, as it is not primarily focused on exploring nature but is a highly practical discipline. Its political significance is immense, "playing an extremely large role and even becoming the top priority, or even the sole concern, of ancient emperors" (Jiang Xiaoyuan, A History of Extraterritorial Astronomy, Shanghai People's Publishing House). Moreover, due to the dominant position of the "unity of heaven and humanity" philosophy in ancient Chinese society, the heavens were used as a mirror to reflect earthly affairs. Thus, astronomy, calendar, and music theory formed an ancient Chinese system of "one becoming three, and three becoming one." It is highly important, and anyone reading ancient texts will encounter it. Therefore, it is included in this unit.
Unit 2: Geography, Official Positions, and Imperial Examinations
This unit covers the "politics" aspect of ancient Chinese culture. Here, geography refers not to "constellations" (which is an important part of the "astronomy" unit and has already been included in Unit 1), but to prefectures, kingdoms, provinces, prefectures, circuits, roads, military commands, and prefectures—historical administrative divisions established and divided by successive regimes. These are "human affairs," not "celestial phenomena." Official positions and imperial examinations are even clearer, discussing the identities of important figures on the historical stage (official positions) and the methods and processes by which they moved from the background (society) to the stage (government). Official positions are more focused on the pre-Tang and Song dynasties, while imperial examinations are more focused on the Tang and Song dynasties. If one is unfamiliar with these contents, reading ancient literary works might still be manageable, but understanding historical events would be impossible. Therefore, they are included in the second unit.
Unit 3: Names, Customs, and Clan Laws
This unit covers the "society" aspect of ancient Chinese culture. If the previous unit reflects the deeds of the pioneers in the great tides of ancient history, this unit reflects the tides themselves. Every era belongs to the people, and while the prominent and famous may shine brightly, what truly reflects the reality of an era is the vast majority of the populace. The themes discussed in this unit, such as "names," "customs," and "clan laws," encompass the lives of ordinary people.
Unit 4: Palaces, Carriages, Food and Drink, Clothing and Accessories, and Miscellaneous Items
This unit is the most extensive, consisting of five chapters. These topics related to the "material civilization" of the time are hot research subjects in academia in recent decades and are essential knowledge for readers seeking a comprehensive understanding of ancient society, as well as a common challenge encountered when reading more ancient texts. Palaces refer to architecture, the "civilization of dwelling"; carriages refer to transportation, the "civilization of movement"; food and drink are the "civilization of eating"; clothing and accessories are aesthetics, the "civilization of wearing." Clothing, food, shelter, and transportation, combined with daily utensils (miscellaneous items), cover all aspects of daily life.
Through the fourteen themes of the four units, the book presents a vivid, accessible, well-structured, and layered exploration of ancient cultural knowledge, offering readers a relatively complete portrayal of ancient Chinese society and clearing some obstacles for further direct reading of classical texts.