Three Character Classic. Hundred Family Surnames. Thousand-Character Classic. Thousand-Family Poems: The Four Books for Young Beginners

Author: Zi Jing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: "The Three Character Classic," "The Hundred Family Surnames," "The Thousand Character Classic," and "The Thousand Poems" are the foundational books for early childhood education in ancient China, which are equivalent to today's elementary school textbooks. The widespread popularity and profound influence of these four books can be imagined. At that time, almost all children who began their education, whether in private or government schools, had to start with these works. The Ming Dynasty scholar Huang Zuo's "Taitian Village Rites" states that children in village schools first read "The Classic of Filial Piety" and "The Three Character Classic," then "The Thousand Character Classic," "The Hundred Family Surnames," and "Youxue Poetry," before finally studying the Four Books and Five Classics. Knowledge requires a solid foundation and accumulation. Many famous scholars in ancient times, as well as some accomplished elderly scholars today, have mentioned that these foundational books they read in childhood laid a certain groundwork, which had a positive impact on their academic and professional lives. This is roughly the basic content and value of the so-called "Three, Thousand, and Thousand."