Hundred Classic Children's Stories

Author: Zeng Xiaofeng (Editor and Compiler)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-10-01
Features: For many years, Chinese scholars overseas have been advocating the "Children's Classic Reading" movement and have claimed that those who do not read Confucian classics like the Analects do not qualify as true Chinese. In recent years, this trend has gradually influenced China. In 1999, the China Youth Foundation launched the "Ancient Poem and Prose Reading Program"; in 2000, the National Library, with the support of renowned scholar Ren Jiyou, vigorously promoted the "Classic Education Reading" for teenagers. It is said that now, over 10,000 children and teenagers participate in the "Classic Reading Activities." This is a very encouraging phenomenon and greatly benefits the inheritance of traditional Chinese culture. Our parents and grandparents, many of whom attended private schools, could recite a vast amount of ancient poetry and prose, possessing a solid foundation in classical Chinese, which is truly admirable. However, our generation, having received formal school education, have only had fragmented introductions in our Chinese textbooks and have had little exposure to Confucian classics. As a result, we have been left with lifelong regrets. So, facing the nationwide, fervent "Children's Classic Reading" movement, will you still let your next generation repeat our mistakes and fall behind from the starting line? The answer is self-evident. Confucian classics have traditionally been referred to as the "Thirteen Classics," which are extensive and complex in content. Among them, Erya is a reference book that explains word meanings, similar to a dictionary; Zuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan, and Guliang Zhuan are professional historical texts; Zhou Li and Yi Li are too dry and cumbersome, making them unsuitable for inclusion in this book. Therefore, the articles in this book are primarily selected from the "Thirteen Classics," including Shijing (Classic of Poetry), Shangshu (Book of Documents), Yijing (Book of Changes), Lunyu (Analects), Mengzi (Mencius), Xiaojing (Classic of Filial Piety), and Liji (Book of Rites). Additionally, Xunzi, though not part of the "Thirteen Classics," is also a Confucian classic, and Zhongyong (Doctrine of the Mean) and Daxue (Great Learning), which are independent chapters extracted from Liji, are included as well. During the compilation process, we have fully considered the characteristics of teenage readers. In addition to selecting key classical texts from Confucianism, we have also paid special attention to the fables and idiomatic stories embedded within them to enhance the book's. The annotations are designed to be clear and easy to understand, accurate yet accessible. The explanations and comments on the classics aim to be both profound and simple, ensuring that the meaning of the texts is clearly articulated while maintaining a close connection to contemporary society. This is to prevent young readers from thinking, "This is something from the ancients and has nothing to do with me," thereby enabling them to benefit from reading the classics.