Book of Songs Plant Guide

Author: Pan Fujun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: 135 themed plants referenced in psalms, paired with beautiful photography and professional botanical explanations; briefly explains the connection between the main themes of the psalms and the characteristics of the plants. Even three thousand years later, we can still recognize the same plants and share the same psalms as the authors of the Book of Songs! The Book of Songs is China’s oldest collection of ancient poetry and is one of the "Six Classics" (the Book of Songs, the Book of Documents, the Book of Rites, the Book of Music, the Book of Changes, and the Spring and Autumn Annals). It holds great importance in Chinese culture. Not only is it the origin of later poetry and literature, but it is also a complete reflection of the lives of the ancient people. Through reading the Book of Songs, we can rediscover and appreciate the wisdom of our ancestors, and in turn, foster new creativity to uphold our cultural essence. This book creatively merges natural science and classical literature, applying the techniques of colorful illustrated reference books to the field of Chinese classical literature. It provides clear explanations and crisp photographs to introduce the 135 plants mentioned in the Book of Songs, allowing readers to immediately see the real images of the plants referenced in the text. This helps in understanding the beauty of the Book of Songs and the mindset of its authors during creation, while also filling the previously inadequate descriptions of plants in the interpretations of the Book of Songs. The author of this book is a botanist who is also well-versed in classical literature, making this achievement possible. The book was awarded the "Best Book Award" by the United Daily News in Taiwan in 2001.