Three Character Classic · Hundred Family Surnames · Thousand Character Classic · Thousand Family Poems

Author: Zi Jing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: The "Three Character Classic," "Hundred Family Surnames," "Thousand Character Classic," and "Thousand Family Poems" are the foundational early education texts for Chinese children in ancient times, which are equivalent to today's elementary school textbooks. The widespread popularity and profound influence of these four books can be imagined. At that time, almost all children who began their education, whether in private or public schools, had to start with these texts. The Ming Dynasty scholar Huang Zuo's "Taitian Village Rites" states that children in village schools first read the "Classic of Filial Piety" and the "Three Character Classic," followed by the "Thousand Character Classic," "Hundred Family Surnames," and "Early Learning Poems," before finally studying the Four Books and Five Classics. Knowledge requires a solid foundation and accumulation. Many famous ancient scholars, as well as some accomplished contemporary scholars, have mentioned that the early education texts they read in childhood laid a strong foundation, which had a positive impact on their academic and professional lives. This is roughly the basic content and value of the so-called "Three, Thousand, and Thousand" texts.