Dragon's literary shadow

Author: Xiao Liangyou
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-08-01
Features: Exquisite printing, collecting classics, comes with a beautiful bookmark, dual-color illustrations, and includes detailed translations and appreciations. "The Treasury of Chinese Traditional Culture Classics" series selects one hundred masterpieces from the Chinese classics of history, philosophy, geography, literature, and science throughout the dynasties, featuring enduring historical works and famous collections passed down through generations. It presents these ancient classics in modern translations. This series is published in a dual-color format, allowing readers to enjoy both the text and renowned landscape paintings. The selected illustrations are from collections such as "The Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting," "The Hall of One Rank Manual of Painting," and "The Hall of Three Rare Treasures." The paintings are aesthetically pleasing, evoking a sense of tranquility and refreshment.
"The Dragon Wen Bian Ying" (The Dragon's Whip Shadow) is a widely circulated and influential (enlightenment reading material). Originally titled "Enlightenment Stories," it was compiled by Xiao Liangyou of the Ming Dynasty. Xiao was known as a prodigy in his youth and later served as the Imperial College President (). This alone demonstrates the significance of the book. Later, it was annotated by Xia Guangwen and revised and supplemented by Yang Chenzheng. By then, the book had largely taken its final form.
The book consists of two parts: the main text and annotations. The main text is in rhyming verse, with four-character lines paired in two-line stanzas, categorized by rhyme. It is easy to memorize, read aloud, and recite, much like other rhyming. The annotations provide explanations of the main text, tracing origins and sources, offering clear and concise insights, and selecting key points to complement the main text.
The content of the book is extensive, drawing from various sources, covering everything from the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors to the Tang and Song dynasties, as well as the classics, history, philosophy, and poetry. It is immensely beneficial for later generations to familiarize themselves with the classics, understand allusions, cultivate their character, and strengthen their aspirations. As a result, since its publication in the Ming Dynasty, it has been widely circulated and had a profound influence. By the Qing Dynasty, it was reorganized and supplemented, with some content rewritten by Li Huiji and others following the original format, titled "The Second Collection of the Dragon Wen Bian Ying."
The Chinese nation has a millennia-old history of civilization, creating a splendid ancient culture and leaving behind a rich spiritual legacy for humanity. It has not only played a significant role in shaping and developing the Chinese nation but also continues to hold great practical significance today. It helps people correctly understand their national history, receive patriotic education, cultivate moral character, improve the cultural quality of the entire nation, and promote the prosperity of socialist culture. These are the cultural essence of our Yellow River descendants, shaping the spirit of our Chinese nation.
To inherit our excellent cultural heritage and carry forward the legacy of our ancient civilization, we have launched the "The Treasury of Chinese Traditional Culture Classics" series. This series adheres to the principles of innovation while promoting tradition. It selects various masterpieces from the Chinese classics of history, philosophy, geography, literature, and science, publishing them in modern translations. We first focus on selecting enduring historical works in ancient philosophy, history, geography, literature, and science that are representative of our nation's past. We also include famous collections passed down through generations. Considering the need for popularization and the target audience, most of these works are selected translations, with key excerpts translated and annotated. The translations aim for accuracy and fluency, easing readers into the complexities of ancient texts and making the essence of Chinese culture accessible in today's fast-paced world. The goal is to engage and educate readers of all ages—elders, middle-aged, and young—ensuring they can understand and benefit from the wisdom within.