Qimin Yaoshu
Qimin Yaoshu | |
---|---|
Hanyu Pinyin | 《Qímín yàoshù》 |
Wade–Giles | Ch‘i-min Yao-shu |
The Qimin Yaoshu is the most completely preserved of the ancient Chinese agricultural texts, and was written by the
The text of the book is divided into ten volumes and 92 chapters, and records 1500-year-old Chinese
280 recipes are found in the text.[5]
Since the publication of the book, historical Chinese governments have long attached great importance to it. Since the book spread overseas it has also often been considered a classic text to study changes in species. When Charles Darwin was researching the theory of evolution he made reference, in his book On The Origin of Species, to an "Encyclopedia of Ancient China".[6] The book he referenced was in fact Qímín yàoshù.[7] The book's name "Qímín yàoshù" can be explained as "techniques by which common people make their livelihood", but can also be explained as "techniques to harness the people's livelihood".
References
- ISSN 0264-2751.
- ISBN 0-521-65270-7
- ISBN 0-674-02605-5
- ISBN 92-3-103784-6.
- ISBN 978-1-4351-0121-0.
- ^ Darwin, Charles (1861). On the Origin of Species, by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life (Revised ed.). New York: D. Appleton and Company. p. 37.
- ISSN 2055-0278.