Jingyuan Edition of the Collected Annotations on the Chu Ci (Complete 4 Volumes)

Author: Zhu Xi (Song Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-09-01
Features: Jingyuan Edition of the Collected Annotations to the Chu Ci, 16 volumes, compiled by Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty. Published in Tokyo, Japan in the 10th year of the Guangxu reign (1884) by Li Shi (Shuchang) of Zunyi. During Li's tenure as an envoy to Japan, he collected and compiled lost ancient Chinese books, resulting in the Guwen Zaoшу Book, comprising 26 volumes. This edition is one of them. The book features each half-page with one line, large characters (20 per line) and small characters (24 per line). The page frame measures 19.1 cm in height and 12.1 cm in width. The title page of the annotations and discourses bears the woodprint of "Baoqing Yuan" in three characters, followed by the preface to the Postscript. A long woodprint of "Wei Zai Guimao Mengchun, Gao Ri Xin Zhai Xin Kan" (12 characters per line) is also present. Additionally, Li Shi mentioned in the colophon that it was "based on the 12th year of the Duanping reign of the Song Lizong Emperor (1235) for comparison." The Song edition included postscripts by "Sui Yinglong," "Zhu Zai," and "Zhu Jian," which are now lost. Mr. You Xing once remarked that the Song edition is "the oldest and most complete printing of the Chu Ci we see today," and the issues he raised are still relevant. When Jiangsu Guangling Ancient Books Press reprinted the original plates in 1997, they compared this edition with the Song edition, resulting in 44 annotations. These are now included at the end of the book for reference.