Tang and Song Eight Great Masters' Prose Selections with Annotations and Critical Comments (Complete 9 Volumes)

Author: Gao Haifu, Editor-in-Chief, Xue Ruisheng, Executive Editor-in-Chief: Dan Yicheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-09-01
Features: Poetry in China has a long and glorious history, with countless brilliant stars that are universally admired, earning China the title of a "land of poetry." However, this does not mean that Chinese prose is inferior or unworthy of mention. On the contrary, over two thousand years of literary history, prose has also been vibrant and diverse, reaching heights of brilliance that dazzle the eyes. The prose discussed here takes into account the actual works of ancient China, including argumentative essays, historical chronicles, various types of miscellaneous writings, and parallel prose, not limited to what is today referred to as literary prose or the "classical prose" called "" (gǔwén) after the Tang and Song dynasties. Tang and Song prose, inheriting the traditions of the pre-Qin, Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties periods and paving the way for the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, represents a crucial period in the history of Chinese prose development. During this time, talented writers emerged one after another, each with unique styles, and the literary forms were vast and varied, greatly expanding the realm of prose. Many masterpieces from various genres have been passed down through the ages, marking an unprecedented and historically significant era. The Collected Writings of the Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties was originally published in 144 volumes, comprising 16 volumes of Han Yu's writings, 12 volumes of Liu Zongyuan's, 32 volumes of Ouyang Xiu's, 16 volumes of Wang Anshi's, 10 volumes of Zeng Gong's, 10 volumes of Su Xun's, 28 volumes of Su Shi's, and 20 volumes of Su Zhe's. During the Ming Wanli era, Mao Kun's grandson re-edited and added 20 volumes of Mao Kun's annotated History of the Five Dynasties (which he had reviewed) to Ouyang Xiu's writings, resulting in the 164-volume edition now in common circulation. For this annotation, the 20 volumes of Luling History Anthology were extracted to restore the original structure and avoid the imbalance of uneven distribution.