Guwen Guanzhi (Upper and Lower)

Author: Cao Daoheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-02-01
Features: The Classic of Chinese Prose (Guwen Guanzhi) is a comprehensive collection of ancient Chinese prose, consisting of 12 volumes, completed before the 34th year of the Kangxi reign (1695). The book includes 222 prose pieces from the Eastern Zhou Dynasty to the late Ming Dynasty. Although it does not contain as many selections as some other anthologies, it prioritizes what is important and de-emphasizes what is less so. As a result, it has remained popular for 300 years since its publication and has become one of the most widely circulated and influential prose anthologies since the Qing Dynasty. The phrase "guanzhi" (meaning "the best of the best") is derived from the Zuo Zhuan, implying that after reading these perfectly crafted prose pieces, there is no need to read any others. Thus, the compiler of the book indeed devoted considerable effort to the selection process, carefully balancing the representation of different dynasties, genres, and the artistic and ideological quality of the works. Objectively speaking, most of the selected pieces are of high quality, such as Cao Jie on the Battle of Guwei, Gong Zhiqi's Advice to borrow a path, Zhao Gong's Warning to King Li against slander, Discourse on the Conquest of Qin, Memorial on the Importance of Grain, Letter to Ren An, The Peach Blossom Spring, On the Teacher, The Story of the Man Who Caught Snakes, Record of Stone Bell Mountain, Preface to the Red Cliff, Letter to Elder Liu, and The Stele for the Five Martyrs. These are all widely known masterpieces, covering various genres such as argumentative essays, biographies, lyrical prose, practical essays, travel writings, and fables, almost encompassing all possibilities. It can be said that it broadly reflects the development of Chinese prose and the rich diversity of its genres. In terms of organization, the book is divided into seven periods chronologically, with an emphasis on both time and authors, each period featuring key writers and works. This approach breaks away from the traditional, often complex and mixed, classification by genre, allowing readers to clearly trace the evolution of classical prose and accurately grasp the distinct styles of different authors. These are the reasons why the book has won the admiration of readers across different eras.