Xiangtai wujing 相臺五經

Xiangtai wujing 相臺五經 "The Five Classics from Xiangtai Terrace" is an edition of originally nine Confucian Classics (then called Xiangtai jiujing 相臺九經) by the Southern Song-period 南宋 (1127-1279) scholar Yue Ke 岳珂 (1183-1243), courtesy name Suzhi 肅之, style Yizhai 亦齋, Dongji 東幾 or Juanweng 倦翁.

The print was produced with greatest care and after critical comparison of 23 earlier editions that were owned by the publisher himself. The revised editions by Master Yu from Jian'an 建安余氏 (Yu Renzhong's 余仁仲 Wanjuan Hall 萬卷堂) and Master Yu from Xingguo 興國于氏 served as the reference texts (in a revised edition by Liao Gang 廖剛).

The original version of the Xiangtai wujing went lost, and only part of it survived, including five classics, namely the Yijing 易經 (Zhouyi 周易), Shangshu 尚書, Shijing 詩經 (Maoshi 毛詩), Liji 禮記 and Zuozhuan 左傳. It is therefore transmitted with the title Xiangtai wujing.

These parts were reprinted during the Guangxu reign-period 光緒 (1875-1908) by the scholar Gao Zongqiu 高宗求.

Figure 1. Beginning of the Yijing 周易

Edition Yuding fang Song Xiangtai Yueshi ben wujing 御定仿宋相臺岳氏本五經, from Guangming zhi men 光明之門

During the Qianlong reign-period 乾隆 (1736-1796) an imitation of Yue Ke's book was printed by the imperial printing shop in the Hall of Military Glory (Wuyingdian 武英殿). It has the title Yuding fang Song Xiangtai Yueshi ben wujing 御定仿宋相臺岳氏本五經 "Imperially commissioned Five Classics as reprint of Master Yue's [Version] of the Xiangtai Terrace from the Song period" and a length of 96 juan, and includes a critical apparatus.