RareBooks in National Palace Museum, Song dynasty part1

Welcome to the National Palace Museum's collection of rare books from the Song dynasty! This amazing collection includes texts written by some of the most influential scholars in Chinese history. Here, you can find commentaries on ancient classics such as The Book of Mencius, memoirs from Zhao Gongwu who fled K'ai-feng when it was invaded in 1126, anthologies of works by Master Zhu Xi and Du Fu’s Poetry with Annotations. There are also commentaries on the Rites of Chou, Principal Meaning to The Book Of Etiquette And Ceremony, Erh-ya philology text and Illustrated Text Of The Hsuan-ho Emissary To Korea. Finally there is Six Writings By Master K'ung which was written after Confucius descendant Kong Duanyou moved south following the fall Northern Song Dynasty in 1126. We invite you to explore these incredible artifacts and gain a better understanding of Chinese culture during this period!

1. Exegeses on the Book of Mencius

The study of the Classics is one of the sources of knowledge of Chinese culture. Over the ages, many talented scholars have left behind a large number of notes and commentaries. These texts were originally transcribed by hand, but the spread of woodblock printing led to their being printed instead.

2. Memoirs of Master Chao-te's Readings in the Chun Studio

Zhao Gongwu was a Chinese scholar who lived in the 12th century. He was from Shandong but had to flee to Sichuan when the Jin forces invaded the Song capital.

3. New Imprint of the Grand and Illuminous Explication of Huai-nan-tzu

The Huainanzi was written during the Western Han dynasty by Liu An, a member of the imperial clan. There were 21 "central" volumes and 33 "peripheral" volumes. Nowadays, only 21 volumes survive, and they are all from the central section.

4. New Revised Imprint of Du Fu's Poetry with Annotations

Du Fu (712-770) was one of the greatest poets in Chinese history. He lived through the An Lu-shan rebellion and the restoration of imperial rule in the mid-8th century, two of the most tumultuous periods of the Tang dynasty.

5. Anthology of Works by Master Zhu Xi

Zhu Xi (1130-1200) was a Chinese philosopher and thinker who lived during the Song dynasty. He is considered one of the most important and influential figures in the development of Chinese metaphysics.

6. Commentaries on the Rites of Chou

The Chinese Classics are a set of texts that were written during the Tang dynasty. They were carved into wood, based on engraved stone Classics of the Tang dynasty. Around 988, during the Northern Song dynasty, commentaries were carved below the text of the Classic.

7. Principal Meaning to The Book of Etiquette and Ceremony

Wei Liaoweng was a Song dynasty official who compiled information for books on the Classics. He served as an official in the Southern Song dynasty, but was demoted after running into trouble with the prime minister.

8. Erh-ya

The "Erh-ya" is an ancient text devoted to philology, but the identity of the author(s) still remains unclear today. The Qing (1644-1911) editors of the "Ssu-k'u ch'uan-shu" (Complete Library of the Four Tre

9. Illustrated Text of the Hsuan-ho Emissary to Korea

Geographical and travel texts have a long history in China, extending back to the Shang and Zhou dynasties (17th-3rd c. BC), when specific officials compiled and organized such texts. Following "Fo-kuo chi" (Record of the Land of the Buddha) by Jin

10. Six Writings by Master K'ung