Wenxuan zhuAlso titled Wenxuan Li Shan zhu or short Li Shan zhu , etc. () is a Tang dynasty commentary on the Wenxuan (, Selections of Refined Literature). The commentary is authored by the scholar Li Shan (, 630–689). It is the oldest surviving and most influential commentary on this classical Chinese anthology. The Wenxuan itself is the earliest extant Chinese anthology arranged by genre.The Wen xuan Tradition in China and Abroad - Jao Tsung-I (Academy of Sinology HKBU)
Overview Li Shan was a Tang dynasty scholar and commentator, renowned for his comprehensive annotations on the Wenxuan, the literary anthology originally compiled by Xiao Tong () of the Liang dynasty (Southern dynasties). The commentary to the Wenxuan draws on nearly 1,700 classical works and focuses on etymology, literary allusions, and textual criticism. The commentary significantly facilitated the use of classical references in Tang poetry and literature.Liu Yuqing : Guoxue gailun . 2018, p. 283
The Wenxuan zhu is generally considered a critical commentary rather than a purely explanatory one. Li Shan incorporated and quoted numerous earlier commentaries on the works included in the Wenxuan, submitting his text to the imperial court in 658.chinaknowledge.de: Wenxuan His annotations are known for their rigor and detailed scholarship, providing both semantic explanations and textual emendations. Together with the commentaries Shuijing zhu (by Li Daoyuan), Pei Songzhi's Sanguozhi zhu, and Liu Xiaobiao's Shishuo Xinyu zhu, Li Shan’s work is regarded as one of the “Four Great Classical Commentaries” of China.guoxue.com: Si da ming zhu ...
Liuchen zhu Wenxuan Another notable commentary (collection) is the Wuchen zhu Wenxuan (, “Comments of the Five Ministers on the Wenxuan”) from 718, a composite edition incorporating annotations by five Tang scholars: Lü Yanji ), Liu Liang (), Zhang Xian (), Lü Xiang (), and Li Zhouhan ().cf. chinaknowledge.de: Wenxuan During the Song dynasty, Li Shan's commentary and the five other less prominent Tang-era commentaries were compiled together as the Liuchen zhu Wenxuan (, “Comments of the Six Masters on the Wenxuan”).
The Hanyu da zidian (HYDZD) f.e. uses besides the Hu Kejia Qing dynasty edition (1809; edition Zhonghua shuju 1977) also the Sibu congkan photographic reproduction of a Song dynasty print Liuchen zhu Wenxuan as its editions.Hanyu da zidian, bibliography, no. 242.
Legacy Li Shan's Wenxuan zhu has had a profound impact on Tang dynasty literature and subsequent Chinese literary scholarship. Its meticulous documentation of sources and allusions continues to serve as an important reference for scholars of classical Chinese literature.
The work is important for a better understanding of parts of the transmission history of early Chinese literature, as f.e. of the book Zhuangzi.Liu Xiaogan: Classifying the Zhuangzi Chapters. Center for Chinese Studies. The University of Michigan. 1994, p. 60
A widely used edition today is the 1986 critical edition published by Shanghai guji chubanshe.
Sun Zhizu (1737-1801) wrote a Wenxuan Lizhu buzheng - Chinese Text Project in the time of the Qing dynasty to supplement and correct the work.cf. Li Xueqin, Lü Wenyu (eds.): Siku da cidian (2 vols.). Changchun: Jili wenshi chubanshe, vol. 2, p. 2889b
See also Li Shan – Tang dynasty scholar and author of the Wenxuan zhu (Chinese)
References
Bibliography Wenxuan zhu . Shanghai guji chubanshe 1986 (critical edition) Hanyu da zidian. 1993 (one-volume edition)
External links
Wenxuan Li Shan zhu – - Chinese Text Project Wenxuan - chinaknowledge.de Wenxuan zhu - Sibu beiyao (vol. 1)