Introduction to the "Easy Map Identification"

Author: Liu Baozhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Yi Tu Ming Bian (Distinguishing the Yi Diagrams) is divided into ten volumes. Volume 1 discusses the He Tu (River Map) and Luo Shu (Lo River Map); Volume 2 addresses the Five Elements and the Nine Palaces; Volume 3 examines the Zhou Yi Can Tong Qi (Comprehensive Investigation of the Changes of the Zhou Yi) and the (Pre-Heaven) and (Great Ultimate); Volume 4 covers the Dragon Diagram and the Yi Shu Gou Xian Tu (Diagram of the Traps of Yi Calculation); Volume 5 discusses the diagrams in the Qian Meng (Enlightenment); Volumes 6 and 7 focus on the Pre-Heaven Ancient Yi; Volume 8 addresses the Post-Heaven studies; Volume 9 discusses the transformations of the hexagrams; and Volume 10 critiques the flaws in the Xiang Shu (Image and Number) school. Yi Tu Ming Bian was deeply influenced by Huang Zongxi, and the last two volumes discuss these two aspects, which are equivalent to addressing the then-new theories of Yi studies. From this, we can see that Hu Wei's purpose in writing this book was to trace the historical origins of the Yi Diagram school. In Volume 2 of Yi Tu Ming Bian, Hu Wei also pointed out that he refuted these diagrams in the order of their appearance. During this time, Hu Wei collected a large number of works by predecessors and contemporaries on the Yi diagrams. His extensive citations of the works of predecessors and contemporaries in Yi Tu Ming Bian effectively illustrate this point. Additionally, while participating in the compilation of the Da Qing Yitong Zhi (Comprehensive Gazetteer of the Great Qing), Hu Wei had the opportunity to read a vast collection of rare documents collected by Xu Qianxue.