Complete Collection of Tang Poems

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: The Complete Collection of Tang Poems consists of nine hundred volumes, compiled by Cao Yin, who served as the Jiangning Textile Manufacturer under the Kangxi Emperor of the Qing Dynasty. He commissioned the recruitment of ten Hanlin scholars, including Peng Dingqiu and Yang Zhongne, who had retired to Yangzhou, to oversee the compilation. The collection includes over 48,900 poems from the Tang and Five Dynasties periods, written by over 2,200 authors, making it the most extensive and influential classical poetry anthology to date. It holds immense reference value for the study of Tang Dynasty history, culture, and literature in China. However, the monumental work still contains issues such as misattributions, omissions, duplicate entries of authors and works, improper organization, and textual errors. To meet the needs of readers for reading and research, it is necessary to revise and supplement this Qing-era Complete Collection of Tang Poems and reissue it. The Complete Collection of Tang Poems was compiled under the order of the Kangxi Emperor by ten individuals—Peng Dingqiu, Shen Sangzeng, Yang Zhongne, Pan Congli, Wang Shihong, Xu Shuben, Che Dingjin, Wang Yi, Cha Siting, and Yu Mei. The compilation began in March 1705 (the 44th year of the Kangxi era) and was completed the following October (less than two years later), with Cao Yin overseeing the printing. The entire collection comprises 900 volumes, based on the Tangyin Tongsuan by Hu Zhenxiang of the Ming Dynasty and the Tang Shi by Ji Zhenyi of the early Qing Dynasty, with additions and revisions. It includes over 48,900 poems by over 2,200 authors. The poets are arranged chronologically, with a supplementary section on Tang and Five Dynasties Ci poetry. Its extensive scope is unprecedented in history. The Complete Collection of Tang Poems is a vast treasure trove in the history of Chinese classical literature. It reflects and records the vibrant two hundred years of Tang Dynasty history, economy, culture, and religion, captivating readers across generations, both within and outside China, to recite, study, and explore. Particularly, it uses "language condensed to the utmost limit" to depict vivid, poetic, and intricate scenes that blend poetry and painting. Many famous lines are naturally perfect and profound, leaving later generations in awe when faced with similar scenery, sighing and muttering, "How can I dare to write another line?"