Shiji (1-10)

Author: Sima Qian of the Western Han Dynasty
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Features: Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) was written by Sima Qian, a great historian and litterateur of the Western Han Dynasty in China. It chronicles over three thousand years of historical changes, from the legendary Yellow Emperor to the Taichu period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty. It covers a wide range of fields, including philosophy, politics, economics, literature, aesthetics, astronomy, geography, talent, ethics, and even medicine, almost encompassing all aspects of human thought at the time. It is a monumental work in the style of an encyclopedia. Records of the Grand Historian is the culmination of Sima Qian's life. He spent about 15 years writing it, and if the preparation of materials is included, it took more than 20 years. The history recorded in Records of the Grand Historian begins with the legendary Yellow Emperor and ends in the Taichu period of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, spanning approximately three thousand years. Its style is the biographical method (jìzhuàn tǐ), primarily organized by individuals or families, making it highly narrative with outstanding writing. It serves as a pioneer and model for later biographical literature and has had a profound influence. In terms of thought, due to his personal experiences, Sima Qian's reflections on "humanity" surpassed his time, truly embodying a "human-centered" philosophy, which was rare.