A Translation of the Ancient Chinese: The Book of Burial (Zang Shu) by Guo Pu (276-324)

Zhang's (Chinese language and literature, Willamette U., Oregon) dissertation for a doctorate in folklore and folklife was on funeral rituals among Chinese Americans. As he worked on it, he realized that one of the more relevant and frequently quoted works in the field had never been translated into English. In Zang Shu, he finds the earliest definition of fengshui, which is now becoming ever so popular in American popular culture. He translates the annotated version in the imperial edition of Si Ky Quan Shu (1773-82), which attributes authorship to Guo Pu and editorship to Wu Cheng (1249-1331). The text is in Chinese script with English translation, and is followed by Wu's notes and Zhang's own commentary. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR