A Learner's Guide to the Thousand Character Classic

The Thousand Character Classic, 千字文, is a poem composed of  one thousand unique characters arranged in 250 lines of four characters each. It has been a favorite primer throughout East Asia since its composition in the early sixth century. In this Korean/English edition of the Thousand Character Classic, we have provided the learner with a format designed to facilitate the recitation of the poem and the learning of individual characters. The translation and source notes will help develop an appreciation for the content of the poem and serve as a springboard for the exploration of the wider field of literature in Classical Chinese.