Thirteen Classics is a classic. What does it say exactly?

Thirteen Classics refers to thirteen Confucian classics formed in the Southern Song Dynasty. They are The Book of Songs, Shangshu, Zhou Li, Yi Li, Li Ji, Zhouyi, Zuo Zhuan, Gongyang Zhuan, Gu Liangzhuan, The Analects of Confucius, Erya, Xiao Jing and Mencius.

The Thirteen Classics gradually developed from the Five Classics of Han Dynasty and finally formed in the Southern Song Dynasty.

Han Dynasty: Five Classics

In the Han Dynasty, Yi, Shi, Shu, Li and Chunqiu were regarded as the "Five Classics", which stood in the position of scholars.

Tang Dynasty: Nine Classics

Chunqiu was divided into three biographies in the Tang Dynasty, namely Zuo Zhuan, Yang Gong and Gu Liang. The Book of Rites is divided into three rites, namely, Zhou Li, Yi Li and Li Ji. These six books, together with Yi, Shu and Shi, are called "Nine Classics" and are also used by scholars to learn from the scriptures.

Late Tang Dynasty: Twelve Classics

As an adult, Tang Wenzong studied stone carving in Guo Zi. In addition to the Nine Classics, he also added The Analects of Confucius, Er Ya and Xiao Jing.

Five Dynasties: Eleven Classics (Income from Mencius)

After the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms, Meng Chang, the master of Shu, carved eleven classics, including Mencius, excluding the filial piety and Er Ya.

Southern Song Dynasty: Thirteen Classics were formally formed.

In the Southern Song Dynasty, Mencius officially became a classic, and together with the original nine classics, such as The Analects of Confucius, Er Ya and Xiao Jing, it formed the Thirteen Classics.

Thirteen Classics is the basic work of Confucian culture. As far as traditional concepts are concerned, Yi, Shi, Shu, Li and Chunqiu are called classics, while Zuo Zhuan, Yang Gongzhuan and Gu Liangzhuan belong to Chunqiu Jingzhuan and Book of Rites. Among these thirteen kinds of documents, Jing has the highest status, followed by Zhuan and Ji, followed by Erya. Thirteen kinds of Confucian documents have long been "classic". In the Han Dynasty, Yi, Shi, Shu, Li and Chunqiu were regarded as the "Five Classics", which were highly valued by the imperial court and stood at the top of the philosophers. There were "Nine Classics" in the Tang Dynasty, which were also designed for scholars and used to select scholars. The so-called "Nine Classics" includes three biographies: Yi, Shi, Shu, Yu, and Chun Qiu. As an adult, Tang Wenzong studied stone carving in Guo Zi, which benefited from The Analects of Confucius, Er Ya and Xiao Jing in addition to the Nine Classics. In the Five Dynasties, Meng Chang, the master of Shu, carved the Eleven Classics, and included Mencius in addition to the Classic of Filial Piety and Erya, making it into the list of classics for the first time. In the Book of Rites, Zhu, a scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty, juxtaposed Daxue and The Doctrine of the Mean with The Analects of Confucius and Mencius, forming four books that people are familiar with today, which were officially recognized, and Mencius officially became a classic. So far, thirteen Confucian documents have established their classic status. During the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty, the scriptures of the Thirteen Classics were carved on stones, and Ruan Yuan co-edited Notes on the Thirteen Classics. Since then, the name of Thirteen Classics and its revered position in Confucian classics have been more deeply rooted in people's hearts. The thirteen classics are extremely extensive, and Zhouyi is a book of divination, with a mysterious outer layer and profound philosophy. Shangshu is a compilation of ancient historical documents, the main contents of which are imperial letters and conversation record, monarchs and ministers. The Book of Songs is a collection of poems from the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period, which is divided into three parts: style, elegance and ode. Wind is a folk song, elegance is the orthodox elegance of the Western Zhou Dynasty. Ode is a dance music for the upper class to worship the ancestral temple. Zhou Li mainly collects the official system of the Zhou royal family and the official system of various countries during the Warring States Period. Yili mainly records the ritual system in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period. The Book of Rites is a compilation of various etiquette works before Qin and Han Dynasties. Three Biographies of the Spring and Autumn Annals is a work formed around the classics of the Spring and Autumn Annals. Zuo Zhuan focuses on historical events, while Yang Gongzhuan and Gu Liangzhuan focus on discussion. The Analects of Confucius is a record of the words and deeds of Confucius and his disciples. The Book of Filial Piety is a monograph on feudal filial piety. Mencius devoted himself to Mencius' speech, thought and behavior. Erya interprets the meaning of words and things, and is often used by scholars to interpret classics. Confucian culture was in a dominant position in feudal times. As a classic of Confucian culture, the Thirteen Classics has great respect and far-reaching influence, which is incomparable to any other classic. The supreme ruler not only seeks the strategy of governing the country and leveling the world, but also follows the Confucian classics to standardize the thoughts of his subjects, establish ethics and morality, and guide the folk customs. The influence of Confucian classics on society is ever-present and ubiquitous. To understand and study all aspects of China's feudal society, we must read the Thirteen Classics.