Wang Bak Chan: Taecheongsingam

I have sought to establish the concepts and logical framework of physiognomy from philosophical, historical, and cultural perspectives. Recently, the importance of interpreting the original texts has received greater attention as people seek a deeper scholarly understanding of physiognomy. In response to this academic trend, I too translated original works on physiognomy. I hope this work will become a forum for learning where we can share and explore the philosophical thought of earlier generations. Through my course, Classical Physiognomy, I also worked to establish the concepts and logical framework of physiognomy from philosophical, historical, and cultural perspectives. This aspiration led me to a connection with books on physiognomy written during the reign of Emperor Qianlong and preserved in the Complete Library of the Four Treasuries. The best-known classical works on physiognomy are The Methods of Ma Yi and The Methods of Liu Zhuang. Less widely known, but academically valuable, are three classical physiognomy books included in the Four Treasuries edition under the Mathematics and Divination section of the Masters category: Yuebo Dongzhong Ji, Yuguan Zhaoshen Ju, and Taiqing Shenjian. Of these three books, Taiqing Shenjian was written by Wang Pu during the Later Zhou period. In its title, the character Qing, meaning clear or pure, is a phono-semantic compound: its water component conveys meaning, while the component pronounced qing conveys sound. It is interpreted through the water symbolism of Gui-Myo. From the beginning of the Gui-Myo year, I devoted considerable time to interpreting the original text and hurried to publish this book so readers could encounter a new classical work on physiognomy. I wanted to introduce Taiqing Shenjian to readers as a classic of physiognomy, and I made the attempt despite my somewhat limited skill in translating the original text.

Korean title: 태청신감

Korean author: 왕박 찬

Korean publisher: 학고방

ISBN-13: 9791169954853