Jiujing guyi 九經古義

Jiujing guyi 九經古義 "Ancient interpretations of the meaning of the Nine Classics" is a collection of commentaries on the Confucian Classics compiled during the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Hui Dong 惠棟 (1697-1758). He belonged to a new group of scholars that discarded Neo-Confucian interpretations and went back to the original Han-period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) exegesis (their discipline was therefore called Hanxue 漢學 "Han Studies"), analysed them and filled their "ancient meaning" (guyi 古義) with new life.

The 16-juan long book includes explanations to the ten texts Yijing 易經 (Zhouyi 周易), Shangshu 尚書, Shijing 詩經 (Maoshi 毛詩), Zhouli 周禮, Yili 儀禮, Liji 禮記, Zuozhuan 左傳, Gongyangzhuan 公羊傳, Guliangzhuan 穀梁傳 and Lunyu 論語.

The book is neverthelessnamed "nine classics" because the commentary on the Zuozhuan was also published separately with the title Zuozhuan buzhu 左傳補注. Hui Dong uses ancient commentaries, but analyses them with "modern" philological methods, and corrects errors in older writings. Many scholars rate Hui Dong's efforts as more valuable than those in Wang Yinglin's (1223-1296) 王應麟 Shikao 詩考 from the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) or Zheng Xuan's 鄭玄 (127-200) Zhouyi zhu 周易注 from the Later Han period 後漢 (25-220 CE).

The Jiujing guyi has survived as a manuscript and in several prints, like those in the series Daiyuan congshu 貸園叢書 and Shengwutang sizhong 省吾堂四種. It is also to be found in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Huang-Qing jingjie 皇清經解 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.