Lüshi chunqiu

Chinese literary work

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June 30, 2026

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The Lüshi Chunqiu is an ancient Chinese encyclopedic text compiled around 239 BCE under the patronage of Lü Buwei, a powerful statesman in the state of Qin. It is a compendium of knowledge from various schools of thought, including folklore, pseudoscientific ideas, and Daoist writings.1

The text is organized into 26 chapters, each divided into three sections. It covers a wide range of topics, from cosmology and natural phenomena to human affairs and governance. The Lüshi Chunqiu aimed to present a comprehensive overview of the world and human knowledge, reflecting the intellectual currents of the late Warring States period. It is considered a significant work for its attempt to synthesize diverse philosophical and scientific ideas into a unified whole.1

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Lü Buwei
…arranged full-length book, the famous Lüshi chunqiu (“The Spring and Autumn [Annals] of Mr. Lü”), a compendium of folklore and pseudoscientific and Daoist writings.
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…arranged full-length book, the famous Lüshi chunqiu (“The Spring and Autumn [Annals] of Mr. Lü”), a compendium of folklore and pseudoscientific and Daoist writings.
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Chinese literature
Prose
…first expertly arranged full-length book, Lüshi Chunqiu (“The Spring and Autumn [Annals] of Mr. Lü”), completed in 240 bce under the general direction of Lü Buwei. The work, 60 essays in 26 sections, summarizes the teachings of the several schools of philosophy as well as the folklore of the various…
Read More
…first expertly arranged full-length book, Lüshi Chunqiu (“The Spring and Autumn [Annals] of Mr. Lü”), completed in 240 bce under the general direction of Lü Buwei. The work, 60 essays in 26 sections, summarizes the teachings of the several schools of philosophy as well as the folklore of the various…
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Earth sciences
Knowledge of the hydrologic cycle
…was explicitly stated in the Lüshi chunqiu (“The Spring and Autumn [Annals] of Mr. Lü”), written in the 3rd century bce. A circulatory system of a different kind, involving movements of water on a large scale within Earth, was envisioned by Plato (c. 428–348/347 bce). In one of his two…
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…was explicitly stated in the Lüshi chunqiu (“The Spring and Autumn [Annals] of Mr. Lü”), written in the 3rd century bce. A circulatory system of a different kind, involving movements of water on a large scale within Earth, was envisioned by Plato (c. 428–348/347 bce). In one of his two…
Read More