The Beauty of the Three Dynasties Condensed into a Single Chapter: A Deep Interpretation of "Yan Yuan Asking about Governing the State" in the Analects of Confucius, Weilinggong
This article provides a rigorous analysis of the "Yan Yuan wen weibang" passage in the *Analects*, examining Confucius’s political pedagogy—centered on the calendar of the Xia, the carriage of the Shang, the ceremonial cap of the Zhou, and the music of Shao—as a synthesis of the essential wisdom of the Three Dynasties. By situating these practices within the broader framework of Confucian statecraft, the study elucidates the idealized civilizational paradigm of the tradition and the enduring philosophical significance of its transmission.
2. Differences in the Calendars of the Three Dynasties
To understand "follow the calendar of the Xia," one must first know how the calendars of the Three Dynasties (Xia, Shang, and Zhou) differed.
The clearest record is in the Liji: Liyun:
Confucius said: "I wish to observe the Way of Xia, so I went to Qi, but it was not sufficient to verify; I obtained the calendar of Xia there. I wish to observe the Way of Yin, so I went to Song, but it was not sufficient to verify; I obtained the Kun-Qian divination there."
Here the Master explicitly states, "I obtained the calendar of Xia there." This shows that the Master had conducted specialized investigation into the Xia calendar.
The core difference between the calendars of the Three Dynasties lies in the setting of the "first month" of the year:
The Xia Dynasty took the Yin month (equivalent to the first lunar month today) as the beginning of the year; the Shang Dynasty took the Chou month (equivalent to the 12th lunar month) as the beginning; the Zhou Dynasty took the Zi month (equivalent to the 11th lunar month) as the beginning.
This is the so-called "Three Beginnings"—Xia starts with Yin, Shang with Chou, Zhou with Zi.
The monthly ordinance system recorded in the Liji: Yueling, though its date of composition is debated, embodies a time concept based on "farming as the core," consistent with the spirit of the Xia calendar:
In the first month of spring, the sun is in the constellation of Yingshi... the east wind thaws the ice, hibernating insects begin to stir...
This passage describes the "first month of spring," which is precisely the Yin month—the first month of the Xia calendar. In this month, "the east wind thaws the ice, hibernating insects begin to stir"—the earth comes back to life, and all things germinate. Taking this month as the start of the year aligns perfectly with the rhythm of nature.