Contemplation of the Compilation of The Songs of Chu by Liu Xiang

The viewpoint of the compilation of The Songs of Chu by Liu Xiang is believed to be put forward by Wang Yi of Eastern Han Dynasty.However,some people held different opinions in Song Dynasty.And some scholars are doubtful on this issue in recent years because Han Chi has no records of this book at all.Therefore,whether Liu Xiang is the compiler of The Songs of Chu has always been a mystery in academy.In fact,Liu Xiang had a very favorable condition to do this,and Classics and famous scholars have been documented and reviewed on this matter from the Han Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty.Han Chi has no records of this book because it roots from Qi Lue.Whether it is in terms of the system or the content,there is no reason for Qi Lue to take The songs of Chu into its samples.So,though Liu Xiang may not be the first lexicographer of The Songs of Chu,the fact that he edited sixteen volumes of The Songs of Chu is beyond doubt,and it was also he that named the collection all of Qu Yuan’s works into The Songs of Chu.