Study On Guides To The Use Of Book In The Ming Dynasty

Since mid-Ming Dynasty,business publishing has entered into a stage of rapid development.The number and types of books surged rapidly,and the publishing culture was gorgeous.The number of the guides to the use of book increased rapidly and appeared in various books.With rich content and varied forms,the guides had more new features and functions.In the eyes of the people of Ming Dynasty,the guides could not only be used for illustration,but also for a platform to express one's own thoughts and show one's literary accomplishment.The guides of Ming Dynasty have important literature value,including rich academic history materials.At present,the study of guides is flourishing.From the focus on the specific content of the guides to the discussion on its origin,definition and function,people have made great achievements in the fields of local chronicles,genealogies,poetry,collected writings,novels and operas,etc.However,the previous study is not deep enough.It needs more comprehensive investigation,statistics and research.This paper makes a systematic study of the guides in the Ming Dynasty and reveals their characteristics and functions.This paper consists of introduction and six body parts.The introduction defines the scope of the research,explains research value next,and then goes over existing findings,finally introduces the research methods.In the first part of the body,this paper investigates the origin and the formation of the guides,and reviews its general situation of the development in the Song and Yuan dynasties.Second,this paper makes statistics on the growth trend and distribution of the guides in the Ming Dynasty.In early Ming dynasty,the guides developed slowly.After Zhengde,the number of guides increased sharply.After Wanli,it experienced an explosive growth.The third part summarizes the new features of the guides of Ming Dynasty.In form,signature or seal was very common at the end of the guide.Many fonts of guides are different from that of the body parts.The writing is more delicate and sometimes is excellent calligraphy.In regard of content,the range of description objects with the guide has been expanded.In addition to the compilation style and content,it also includes the meaning of book titles,theme,writing process,copyright statement,academic research,the meaning of punctuation,instructions,reading method,advertisement,acknowledgements and self-depreciatory expression etc.Furthermore,with varied language style and enhanced literariness,the guides themselves become the target of literary appreciation.The fourth part summarizes the function of the guides in Ming Dynasty.Besides explanation,it also has the functions of narrative,advertisement,social engagement,self-expression and communication with readers.The fifth part discusses the importance of examining the guides,and reveals the problems of mechanical applying and falsifying guides in the Ming Dynasty.Therefore,we should utilize the text,preface and postscript as well as the related bibliography and editions,to identify the date and author of the guides,and verify the authenticity of them.The conclusion part discusses the significance of the guide in the study of the history of books,and predicts the prospect of the study of the guide.In addition,at the end of the paper,there is Statistical Table of Guides of Song,Yuan and Ming dynasties,which collates guides according to the four-step classification.