Works and Life of Ming Ren

Author: Zhu Honglin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: The articles in this book were written to investigate the compilation circumstances, publication origins, textual variations, and the life and career of the authors of Ming Dynasty works. The works primarily focus on collections of essays, though several historical studies and anthologies were also included initially due to the exploration of the authors or compilers' collections. My knowledge of the Ming Dynasty's collection of essays is largely owed to my mentor, Professor Paul A. Kuhn of Princeton University in the United States. During my studies at the Princeton University Graduate School, I researched the Ming Dynasty history and the intellectual and cultural history of modern China. After completing my degree, Professor Kuhn kindly helped me secure a position at the university to continue reading the Ming Dynasty collections of essays in the Grottoes of the Eastern Library and writing bibliographical notes on them. This was because my academic capabilities were still limited, and I needed to deepen my knowledge, while the usefulness of the Ming Dynasty collections in the library should also be widely recognized. During his time at Princeton University, Professor Zhu Honglin extensively read the rare Japanese Imperial Household Ministry Library editions of Ming Dynasty collections of essays in the Grottoes of the Eastern Library, examining their compilation circumstances, publication origins, textual variations, and the life and career of the authors. This is a profound and meticulous work. This book will undoubtedly be of great help in researching the social and cultural conditions of the Ming Dynasty.