The Four Books
The four texts Zhu Xi (d.1200) elevated as the heart of the canon — all translated by James Legge (PD).
The Four BooksSìshū4
Great Learning · Dàxué 大學Doctrine of the Mean · Zhōngyōng 中庸Analects · Lúnyǔ 論語Mencius · Mèngzǐ 孟子
The Five Classics
The ancient classics (a "Sixth," the Classic of Music, was lost in the Qin book-burning). Legge rendered them all in the Sacred Books of the East.
The Five ClassicsWǔjīng5
Classic of Poetry · Shījīng 詩經Book of Documents · Shūjīng 書經Book of Rites · Lǐjì 禮記I Ching · Yìjīng 易經Spring & Autumn Annals · Chūnqiū 春秋
The Thirteen Classics
The Song-dynasty maximal canon — the Five plus the ritual texts, the three Spring-and-Autumn commentaries, and the minor classics.
The expansion beyond the Five7
Zuo Commentary · Zuǒzhuàn 左傳Classic of Filial Piety · Xiàojīng 孝經Rites of Zhou · Zhōulǐ 周禮Etiquette & Ceremonial · Yílǐ 儀禮Gōngyáng Commentary 公羊傳untranslatedGǔliáng Commentary 穀梁傳untranslatedErya · 爾雅 (ancient glossary)untranslated
The classical masters
The third great classical Confucian and the Han synthesizers.
Beyond Confucius & Mencius4
Xúnzǐ 荀子Dong Zhongshu — Chūnqiū Fánlù 春秋繁露Kǒngzǐ Jiāyǔ 孔子家語 (School Sayings)Classic of Rites — Dà Dài Lǐjì 大戴禮記untranslated
Neo-Confucianism
The great medieval revival — where the copyright wall rises; nearly every authoritative translation is modern.
The Song–Ming revival5
Zhou Dunyi — Tàijítú shuō / TōngshūCheng Hao & Cheng Yi 二程Zhu Xi — Reflections on Things at Hand 近思錄Zhu Xi — commentaries on the Four BooksWang Yangming — Instructions for Practical Living 傳習錄
Held in this archive awaiting placement11 texts
Texts of this tradition the archive holds that have no chip on this map and no room placement — browsable here honestly; each awaits a reviewed binding or a structure-growth pass (the stays-reception rulings of the placement program, 2026-07).
A History of Chinese LiteratureHerbert A. Giles 1901 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗Myths and Legends of ChinaE.T.C. Werner 1922 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗Sacred Places in ChinaJoseph Edkins 1910 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗Strange Stories from a Chinese StudioHerbert A. Giles 1880 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗The Chinese Fairy BookRichard Wilhelm 1921 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗The Civilization of ChinaHerbert A. Giles 1911 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗The Religions of Ancient ChinaHerbert A. Giles 1905 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗Chinese Literature (Legge)James Legge 1900 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗The Chinese Classics, Vol 1James Legge 1893 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗The Shundai ZatsuwaGeorge William Knox 1892 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗The Works of HsuntzeHomer Dubs 1928 · awaits a reviewed binding or structure growth · read in the archive ↗