Abstract

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Title:: Han Yu’s Falsification of Zi Xia’s Authorship of“Preface to Shijing” and Studies on Shijing in Song Dynasty

Keywords:: Han Yu; preface to Shijing; studies on Shijing in Tang and Song dynasties

Abstract:: Han Yu challenged the authoritative studies on Shijing 诗经 (Book of Songs) since the Han Dynasty by arguing that the preface to this ancient Chinese classic was not written by Zi Xia. His aim was to restore Confucianism and construct a new system of classical cultural heritage. Han’s efforts not only brought about a big turn in the studies on Shijing but also heavily influenced the studies on Shijing in the Song Dynasty, leading to the binary division between those who stuck to Zi Xia’s authorship and those who denied his authorship. Thus Han constituted a critical transition from the Han to the Song studies on Shijing.