Zhongguo gudai nüjiao wenxian congkan 中國古代女教文獻叢刊

Zhongguo gudai nüjiao wenxian congkan 中國古代女教文獻叢刊 is a series of literature on female education edited by Jiang Qingbo 江慶柏 and Zhang Yanchao 章豔超, and published in 2016 by the Beijing Yanshan Press 北京燕山出版社.

The expression nüjiao wenxian 女教文獻 "women's instruction literature" refers to writings aimed at educating women. In ancient times, the genre of literature on women's instruction included works whose main purpose was to admonish or teach women. For instance, the renowned Nüjie 女誡 by Ban Zhao 班昭 (c. 49-120 CE) of the Han period. Her intent in writing was, essentially, to educate her daughters.

The second category includes works that document the virtuous deeds of women. Although these texts are not mainly didactic, they indirectly contribute to educating women. The most notable example is the collection Lienüzhuan 列女傳, compiled by Liu Xiang 劉向 (79-8 or 77-6 BCE). The Lienüzhuan showcases models of virtuous consorts and chaste women who brought prosperity to their states and honour to their families, as well as those who, through vice and favouritism, caused the downfall of dynasties.

The tradition of Chinese women's instructional literature is long and continuous. It served as a means for rulers and family heads to uphold their authority. Due to differences in social, political, and economic circumstances, the content of women's instructional texts varied across different eras. The genre reached its height during the Ming 明 (1368-1644) and Qing 清 (1644-1911) dynasties. In the late Qing period, as social crises intensified and reform movements emerged, new ideas and concepts regarding women's education appeared, leading to many changes in the content of such literature.

To understand the true circumstances of women in ancient Chinese society, women's instructional literature serves as one of the most important sources. The study of such literature is also a fundamental topic in research on ancient Chinese society as a whole. The series brings together a selection of women's instructional texts, each accompanied by an introductory summary, to help readers better grasp the characteristics of traditional Chinese society.

The core content of ancient women's instructional literature aimed to preserve traditional society by controlling the thoughts and actions of female persons. It serves as strong evidence of the oppression faced by Chinese women for thousands of years. However, part of its content also aligns with positive aspects of China's traditional values and remains relevant to modern civilisation. For example, teachings that promote women to be diligent and frugal in managing the household, to be filial to their parents, and to maintain harmony within the family all reflect traditional virtues of the Chinese nation—virtues that apply to everyone, not just women.

The series includes 83 books in 31 volumes. Seven books are rendered in two different editions. Of some texts, only excerpts are given,