Rare Books and Periodicals

This area displays rare books and periodicals collected by the Institute of History and Philology. Many are extremely rare, such as exemplary copies printed in the Sung dynasty; there are also genealogies of books, in which one single volume contains texts from different editions of the same work. In addition, there is a great amount of folk literature in the form of "song compendiums," as well as manuscripts and copies with handwritten commentaries by famous scholars. One of the most significant archival materials, the Ssu-k'u ch'üan-shu (The Complete Collection of Four Treasuries), is also included in the collection. Here visitors are able to observe the editing process of the Ssu-k'u ch'üan-shu, as its very first edition and the many books from which it has drawn are presented side by side.
 

 

The Precious Scroll of the God of the Kitchen

Resource Identifier:P6-055
Resource Type:Edition:Woodcut print by the I-te-chai Morality Bookstore, Nanking.
Subject & Keywords:Folk literature
Description:Pao-chüan (precious scrolls) have been popular ever since the sixteenth century. Leaders of popular religious sects have used them to propagate their teachings. The text here, entitled "The Precious Scroll of the God of the Kitchen," published during the Kuang-hsü reign (A.D.1875-1908), was intended to be read aloud to an audience. It contains both religious sanctions and lists of concrete moral guidelines.
Date:A.D.1844, Ch'ing dynasty
Format:Hight 23.5, width 15.0; frame: height 20.5, width 13.2cm.
   
   
Guide to "Current Tunes" : The Newest Edition of the Highlights of Orally Transmitted Melodies

Resource Identifier:TC15-193
Resource Type:Published by Kuang-chi Bookstore, Shanghai.
Subject & Keywords:Folk literature
Description:This is an example of how the ch'ang-pen of the early Republican period used traditional melodies for patriotic propaganda. Leftist writers like Chü Ch'iu-pai were inspired in the 1930s by these ch'ang-pen and developed the cultural policy of "filling old bottles with new wine." The "Five Watches Tune" is an example of how the massage of resistance to Japanese aggression was spread through popular tunes. "In the midst of the first watch, moonlight falls on an ornate stage. Japanese soldiers and warships head for Shanghai. Fast-moving boats and bombs are installed at the Chiao-chiao Pass. They aim to seize northwest Shanghai, together with the Lien-chiang Bay."
Date:Early 20th century
Format:Height 19.7, width 13.2 cm; frame: height 17.3, width 11.2 cm.
   
   
Eight Immortals, An Abundant Harvest of Five Crops

Resource Identifier:K1-001
Resource Type:Published by "Hundred Book Chang"
Subject & Keywords:Folk literature
Description:"Hundred Book Chang," publisher of this ch'ang-pen, was an old bookstore that specialized in opera. Located in Peking, the bookstore operated since the Ch'ien-lung period (A.D. 1736-1795). In a tone redolent with the spirit of a proud old bookshop, two lines appear on the title page: "We won't sell at a lower price. No Bargaining."
Format:Height 21.5, width 12.0 cm.
   
   
Hand-written Letter from Wu Shih-fen to Ch'en Chieh-ch'i

Resource Identifier:188197
Description:In this letter Wu Shih-fen discusses the difficulties of putting down bandits and supplying soldiers.。
Date:Written by Wu Shih-fen (A.D. 1796-1856), Ch'ing dynasty
Format:Height 23.8, width 12.3 cm.
   
   
Li Ch'ün-yü shih-chi

Resource Identifier:182352-53
Resource Type:Edition:Block-printed edition from the Ch'ên's Book Shop in Linan Fu, Southern Sung dynasty
   
   
Ta-hsüeh chang-chü

Resource Identifier:185052
Resource Type:Edition:Block-printed edition, Sung dynasty
   
   
Tsuan-t'u fang-lun mai-chüeh chi-ch'êng

Resource Identifier:176815-16
Resource Type:Edition:Block-printed edition from Chup'ing Book Hall in Luling, 1349

 

 



Text and images are provided by Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica

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