Mao Zedong read and commented on the Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poetry

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Features: The classic masterpiece beloved by a great leader for a lifetime; the exemplary literary work that helps students achieve success. During his youth, when Mao Zedong studied, the collection he read most extensively was The Selected Rhapsodies of Ancient and Modern Times (Zhaoming Wenxuan). He could recite many passages from it. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, Mao Zedong repeatedly requested The Selected Rhapsodies of Ancient and Modern Times. On October 23, 1959, before leaving on a trip, he designated it as one of the books to take with him. Mao Zedong made annotations on three editions of The Selected Rhapsodies of Ancient and Modern Times. On the cover of one annotated by Li Shan, he wrote the four large characters “Excellent literature is worth reading” in bold strokes. He made numerous markings and circles in the sections of poetry and prose. In his later years, he had his staff arrange the famous passages in large print and often read them, sometimes reciting them, even continuing to read them even during his illness. The Selected Rhapsodies of Ancient and Modern Times is the earliest existing anthology of Chinese poetry and prose compiled in China. It includes works from 100 authors, totaling over 700 pieces of various literary styles, spanning nearly 800 years from the pre-Qin period to the Liang Dynasty (501–531). As it was compiled under the direction of Prince Zhaoming of the Liang Dynasty, Xiao Tong (501–531), it is known as The Selected Rhapsodies of Ancient and Modern Times. It was almost a must-have for ancient scholars and scholars alike, and there is even a saying that “When the Wenxuan is rotten, half of the scholars are lost.”