Minglian Appreciation Dictionary

Author: Jiang Zhusun et al.
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book selects and compiles over a thousand famous couplets from ancient and modern times, categorized into six sections: scenic spots, dedications, celebrations, condolences, professions, and witty couplets. It explains difficult words and phrases in the couplets, analyzes allusions, and more. The arrangement of the book follows the order of administrative divisions as published by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China for the scenic spots section. Provinces, cities, and autonomous regions are listed in the order of provincial capitals first, followed by cities and counties. The other five categories—dedications, celebrations, condolences, professions, and witty couplets—are generally arranged in chronological order of their creation. After each couplet, there is a brief appreciation, varying in length. For scenic spot couplets, a concise introduction is provided for each location. When multiple couplets exist for the same location, the introduction is placed only after the second couplet. The authors of the selected couplets are listed by their real names, except for those who use pen names. For answers to couplets, only the names of the responding authors are listed. For difficult words and related allusions, explanations or annotations are provided in the appreciation text, with difficult characters marked using Pinyin. The book uses simplified characters, but traditional characters or variant characters are used when necessary to avoid ambiguity. The book also includes a "Biographical Notes on Famous Couplets Authors," excluding those with unknown biographies. Additionally, the book features an "Introduction to Couplets Knowledge."