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The Chinese Classical Texts or Canonical Texts (Chinese: 典籍) are the classical literature in Chinese culture that are considered to be the best or the most valuable. These include both poetry and prose, some dating from the Eastern Zhou (771-256 BC), some of them are attributed to Confucius, but he might only be their editor. Those texts are divided by scholars in the date between 221 BC, known as the Pre-Qin Texts (Chinese: 先秦文献). One of the features of Chinese culture that allows its continuity is the importance given to these ancient texts, which shape the culture.

The Four Books and Five Classics, were mandated study of those Confucian scholars who wished to become government officials. Any political discussion was full of references to this background and one could not be one of the literati, or even a military officer, without knowing them perfectly. Generally, children first studied the Chinese characters with the Hundred Family Surnames and the Three Character Classic, then went on to study the other classics, in order to ascend in the social hierarchy.

Pre-Qin Texts (pre-221 BC)

• The Classics of Confucianism:
  • The Four Books:
    • The Great Learning, is a name of work under a chapter from the Classic of Rites.
    • The Doctrine of the Golden Mean, is a name of work under another chapter from the Classic of Rites.
    • The Analects of Confucius, a 20 chapters work of dialogues of Confucius and his disciples, which recorded by the later Confucian scholars.
    • The Mencius, a book of conversations between Mencius and some kings of his time.
  • The Five Classics:
    • The I Ching, is a manual of divination based on the 8 trigrams attributed to the mythical figure Fuxi (By times of Confucius these 8 trigrams had been multiplied to 64 hexagrams). The I Ching is still used by modern adherents of folk religion.
    • The Classic of Poetry, made up of 305 poems divided into; 160 folk songs; 74 minor festal songs, traditionally sung at court festivities; 31 major festal songs, sung at more solemn court ceremonies; and 40 hymns and eulogies, sung at sacrifices to gods and ancestral spirits of the royal house. This book is traditionally credited as a compilation from Confucius.
    • The Classic of Rites, is a social forms and ceremonies records of the Western Zhou and a restoration of the original copy after the burning of Confucian texts in 213 BC, it describes ancient rites and court ceremonies.
      • The Rites of Zhou, is a work known as the Three Rites along with the Classic of Rites and Etiquette and Ceremonials.
      • The Etiquette and Ceremonials, another work known as the Three Rites along with the Classic of Rites and Rites of Zhou.
    • The Classic of History, is a collection of documents and speeches of the Xia, Shang and Western Zhou and period before. It contains examples of the earliest Chinese prose.
    • The Spring and Autumn Annals, is the earliest chronological annals consisted barely about 16,000 words, it records the events of the State of Lu from 722 BC to 481 BC with implied condemnation of usurpations, murder, incest, etc.
      • The Commentary of Zuo, is a different report of the same events as the Spring and Autumn Annals with a few significant differences, it covers a longer period than the Spring and Autumn Annals, that is until 463 BC, it often regarded as the tradition commentary among the three.
      • The Commentary of Gongyang, another survival commentary report of the same events.
      • The Commentary of Guliang, another survival commentary report of the same events.
    • The Classic of Music, is sometime referred to as the sixth classic, but is lost by the time of the Han Dynasty.
  • The other Confucian canon:
    • The Classic of Filial Piety, very small classical book on how to behave towards a senior, be it the own father, an elder brother or the ruler.
    • The Dictionary of Terms, is a thesaurus to explain the true meaning and interpretation of words in the context of the Confucian Canon.

• The Classics of Taoism:
  • The Classic of The Way and Its Virtue, attributed to Laozi.
  • Zhuangzi, attributed to the philosopher of the same name, Zhuangzi.
  • The Classic of the Perfect Emptiness, attributed to Liezi.

• The Classic of Mohism:
  • Mozi, attributed to the philosopher of the same name, Mozi.

• The Classics of Legalism:
  • Guanzi, attributed to Guan Zhong.
  • Hanfeizi, attributed to Han Fei.
  • Shenzi, attributed to Shen Buhai, is lost.
  • Shenzi, attributed to Shen Dao, is presumably lost.
  • The Book of Law, attributed to Li Kui.

• The Classics of Military Science:
  • The Art of War, attributed to Sunzi.
  • The Thirty-Six Strategies, recently uncovered.
  • The Three Strategies of Master Yellow Stone, attributed to Huangshi Gong.
  • The Methods of the Minister of War, attributed to Sima Rangju.
  • Wuzi, attributed to Wu Qi.
  • Weiliaozi, attributed to Wei Liao.

• The Classics of the History of China:
  • The Discourses of the States, a collection of historical records of numerous states recorded the period from Western Zhou to 453 BC.

Texts after Qin (206 BC)

• The Twenty-Four Histories canon, a dynastic format collection of authoritative references of the history of China, including the Records of the Grand Historian by Sima Qian and the Book of Han by Ban Gu.
• The Strategies of the Warring States, attributed to Liu Xiang.
• The Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms, a historical record of the Sixteen Kingdoms, attributed to Cui Hong, is lost.
• The Dialogues between Li Jing and Tang Taizong, attributed to Li Jing
• The Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government, attributed to Sima Guang.
• The Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue, a historical record of the states of Wu and Yue during the period of Spring and Autumn, attributed to Zhao Ye.
• The Thousand Character Classic, attributed to Zhou Xingsi.

See also

• Chinese literature
• Imperial examination

External links

• Wengu text database (Classic of Poetry, Analects of Confucius, Tao Te Ching and I Ching, in Chinese and translations)
• Chinese Classics (James Legge's translations of the Analects of Confucius, the Great Learning, the Doctrine of the Mean, the Works of Mencius and the Tao Te Ching)
• Chinese classic text online (in Big5 Chinese encoding)
• Chinese Literature Classics (listed in English, with links to Chinese texts and translations in several languages)

• Chinese classic texts
• Confucian texts