Collected Illustrations of the Three Realms

original: 三才圖會 (Sancai Tuhui)

Compiled by Wang Siyi (style name: Guangming-fu) of Yunjian
Yunjian is an ancient name for the region of Songjiang, near modern-day Shanghai. Wang Siyi was the son of the primary compiler, Wang Qi.

Human Affairs, Volume Nine

The "Human Affairs" (Renshi) section of this encyclopedia covers human society, including behavior, rituals, arts, and systems.

Diagram of the Arrangement for the Grand Combined Music, Four Performance Stands, and Six Dances
This refers to the formal positioning of musicians and ritual dancers in the Ming dynasty court.

Diagram of the Supreme UltimateThe Taiji (Supreme Ultimate) is the cosmological principle of the source of all things, often represented by the yin-yang symbol. and the Original QiYuanqi is the primordial energy or life force that composes the universe.

Diagram of the Five Tones Based on the River MapThe Hetu (Yellow River Map) is an ancient cosmological diagram used here to explain the mathematical origins of the five notes of the Chinese pentatonic scale.

Diagram of the Eight Musical Materials Based on the Luo ScriptThe Luoshu (Luo River Script) is a magic square diagram. In this context, it is used to categorize the eight types of traditional musical instruments: metal, stone, silk, bamboo, gourd, clay, leather, and wood.

Diagram of the Yellow BellThe Huangzhong (Yellow Bell) is the fundamental pitch pipe in ancient Chinese musicology, serving as the standard for all other pitches. Generating the Other Eleven Pitches, Including the Accumulated Numerical Calculations and the Twelve Musical Keys

Comprehensive Diagram of the Nine Transformations of the Grand Combined Music in the Modes of Gong, Jue, Zhi, and YuThese are names for the notes in the traditional pentatonic scale. The "Nine Transformations" refer to the ritual sequences in ceremonial music.