This book is a classic introduction to Chinese philology - the discipline of textual interpretation - which is grounded in rigorous exegetical and linguistic analysis of ancient texts.

As a discipline devoted to explaining classical texts with a particular focus on semantic interpretation, philology is at the heart of the study of classical Chinese language and literature. This concise introductory volume surveys foundational concepts and approaches, including the discipline's definition, scope, and applications; the content and methods of philological annotation; word meaning and its evolution; and new directions in the field. Drawing on the author's teaching and research experience, the book combines scholarly rigour with lucid explanations and offers original insights.

It is an ideal introductory read for sinologists and students of classical Chinese studies who are new to the field and want a clearer understanding of ancient Chinese texts.

Xu Weihan (1926-2016), former Professor at Shanghai Normal University, was a distinguished linguist whose research focused primarily on Chinese philology.