''Sì shū wǔ jīng'' (四書五經), or the ''Four Books and the 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.
Chinese children first studied the Chinese Characters with the '' Hundred Family Surnames '' (Bai Jia Xing) and the '' Three Character Classic '' (三字經 San Zi Jing), then went on to study the other Classics, in order to ascend in the social hierarchy.
- The Five Classics (五經 Wǔ jīng):
- --- The '' I Ching '' (易經 Yì Jīng; ''Classic of Changes'' or ''Book of Changes'') is a manual of divination based on the eight Trigram s attributed to the mythical emperor Fu Xi . (By Confucius' time these eight trigrams had been multiplied to sixty-four Hexagram s.) The ''I Ching'' is still used by adherents of folk religion.
- --- The '' Classic Of Poetry '' or The Book of Odes (詩經 Shī Jīng), made up of 305 poems divided into 160 folk songs; seventy-four minor festal songs, traditionally sung at court festivities; 31 major festal songs, sung at more solemn court ceremonies; and forty 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 '' (禮記 Lǐ Jì), social forms and ceremonies (also spelled ''Liki''), a restoration of the original Lijing, lost in the 3rd Century BCE , describes ancient rites and court ceremonies.
- --- The '' Classic Of History '' (書經 Shū Jīng) is a collection of documents and speeches alleged to have been written by rulers and officials of the early Zhou period and before. It contains examples of early Chinese prose.
- --- The '' Spring And Autumn Annals '' (春秋 Chūn Qiū, also known as 麟經 Lín Jīng), a historical record of the State Of Lu , Confucius' native state, from 722 B.C. to 479 B.C. written (or edited) by Confucius , with implied condemnation of usurpations, murder, incest, etc.
- --- The '' Classic Of Music '' (樂經) (''Yueh Ching'') is sometime referred to as the sixth classic, but is lost by the time of the Han Dynasty .
- The classics of Taoism :
- --- The ''Classic of The Way and Its Virtue'' or Tao Te Ching (道德經 Dao De Jing), attributed to Lao Zi .
- --- '' Zhuang Zi '', attributed to the philosopher of the same name, Zhuang Zi.
- --- The ''True Classic of Perfect Emptiness'', attributed to Lie Zi .
- The classic of Mohism :
- --- '' Mozi '', attributed to the philosopher of the same name, Mozi.
- Classics of Military Science :
- --- '' The Art Of War '', attributed to Sun Tzu .
- --- '' Thirty-Six Strategies '', recently uncovered.
- --- ''The Three Strategies of Master Yellow Stone'' (黃石公三略, ''Huangshigong sanlüe'')
- --- ''Li Weigong answering the questions of Tang Taizong'' (唐太宗李衛公問對, ''Tang Taizong Li Weigong Wendui''), attributed to Li Jing
- --- ''The Methods of the Minister of War'' (司馬法, ''Sima Fa''), attributed to Sima Rangju (司馬穰苴)/Tian Rangju (田穰苴)
- --- ''Wuzi'' (吳子), attributed to Wu Qi (吳起)
- --- ''Weiliaozi'' (尉繚子, also pronounced ''Yuliaozi''), attributed to Wei Liao (尉繚)
- Classics of the History Of China :
- --- '' Twenty-Four Histories '', 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 ''Spring and Autumn Annals of Zuo'', ''Annals of Zuo'' or '' Zuo Zhuan '', attributed to Zuo Qiuming .
- --- The ''Discourses of the States'' or '' Guoyu '', a collection of historical records of numerous states during the Spring And Autumn Period .
- --- The ''Strategies of the Warring States'' or '' Zhan Guo Ce '', attributed to Liu Xiang .
- --- The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of Wu and Yue'' or '' Wuyue Chunqiu '', a historical record of the states of Wu and Yue during the Spring And Autumn Period , attributed to Zhao Ye .
- --- The ''Spring and Autumn Annals of the Sixteen Kingdoms'' or '' Shiliuguo Chunqiu '', a historical record of the Sixteen Kingdoms , attributed to Cui Hong , is lost.
- --- The ''Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government'' or '' Zizhi Tongjian '', attributed to Sima Guang .
- --- The ''Annals of Lü Buwei'' or '' Lüshi Chunqiu '' (呂氏春秋), attributed to Lü Buwei .
- 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)
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