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Book/Printed Material Wang you qing le ji 忘憂清樂集

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About this Item

Title

  • Wang you qing le ji

Other Title

  • 忘憂清樂集

Translated Title

  • Collected Writings on Forgetting All Cares and Worries and Enjoying Life

Summary

  • Wang you qing le ji (Collected writings on forgetting all cares and worries and enjoying life), a Song dynasty print edition, was arranged and compiled by Li Yimin, a chess technical official at the Imperial Academy. Li collected works written by earlier authors on the Chinese weiqi (Chinese chess) game, as well as famous weiqi game positions and chessboards. Presented here is the earliest extant print edition of the systematic study of Chinese chess. The title was taken from a line of one of the poems written by Zhao Ji, Emperor Huizong of Song (reigned 1100-27), which reads: "At a chessboard we forget worries and enjoy life." The Chinese weiqi game flourished as early as the Spring and Autumn and the Warring States periods (770-221 BC), however, most works on the game no longer exist. This work contains the first important works on the subject, such as Qi jing shi san pian (Thirteen essays on classic chess) and the poem by Emperor Huizong. Next it lists chess manuals, among them Qi jue (Chess strategies), which consists of four pieces by Liu Zhongfu; Lun qi jue yao za shuo (Miscellaneous explanations of essential chess strategies) by Zhang Jing; followed by several dozen diagrams of chessboards played by famous chess masters from the time of Sun Ce and Lü Fan of Eastern Wu (222-80) to the Song dynasty (960-1279). These diagrams include full chessboards, chess moves from the sides and corners, and partial boards, such as those entitled "Partial Chessboard Played by Sun Ce against Lü Fan," "Diagram of the Empty Floral Triangle Board," "Diagram of Eternal Chessboard of Eight Outstanding Talents," and others. This is the only existing copy of the work. The engraving and printing were skillfully done, and the ink is pure and black. The spacing of lines is clear and in simple and traditional style, bearing the characteristics of Southern Song printing in the region of Hangzhou, Zhejiang. The taboo words were observed, with the character shen (personal name of Zhao Shen, Emperor Xiaozong) lacking the last stroke, which indicates that this copy was published during the Xiaozong reign (1163-89). The copy was held in the libraries of Qing book collectors, including Qian Zeng, Huang Pilie, Wang Shizhong, Qu Shaoji, and others.

Names

  • Li, Yimin Compiler
  • Liu, Zhongfu Contributor
  • Song Huizong, Emperor of China, 1082-1135 Contributor
  • Zhang, Jing Contributor

Created / Published

  • Hangzhou, Zhejiang : [Publisher not identified], [1163 to 1189]

Headings

  • -  China
  • -  1163 to 1189
  • -  Board games
  • -  Chess
  • -  Chinese classics
  • -  Chinese literature
  • -  Games
  • -  Go (Game)
  • -  Recreation

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: 3 volumes : stitch-bound ; 25.4 x 18.2 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Library of China.
  • -  Content in Chinese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.
  • -  Title revised per Asian Division.--cc28 2023-01-06

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021666513

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

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Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

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Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Li, Yimin Compiler, Zhongfu Contributor Liu, Emperor Of China Song Huizong, and Jing Contributor Zhang. Wang You Qing Le Ji. [Hangzhou, Zhejiang: Publisher not identified, to 1189, 1163] Pdf. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666513/.

APA citation style:

LI, Y. C., Liu, Z. C., Song Huizong, E. O. C. & Zhang, J. C. (1163) Wang You Qing Le Ji. [Hangzhou, Zhejiang: Publisher not identified, to 1189] [Pdf] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021666513/.

MLA citation style:

Li, Yimin Compiler, et al. Wang You Qing Le Ji. [Hangzhou, Zhejiang: Publisher not identified, to 1189, 1163] Pdf. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021666513/>.