Han Fei

The Five Classics is a corpus of five ancient books used by Confucianism as the basis of studies. According to tradition, they were compiled or edited by Confucius himself.

Classic of Changes

The ''Classic of Changes'' or the Book of Changes , also known as the ''I Ching''.

Classic of Poetry

The ''Classic of Poetry'' or The Book of Odes , made up of 305 poems divided into 160 folk songs; 74 minor festal songs, traditionally sung at court festivities; 31 major festal songs, sung at more solemn court ceremonies; and 40 hymns and eulogies, sung at sacrifices to gods and ancestral spirits of the royal house. This book is traditionally credited as a compilation from Confucius.

Classic of Rites

The ''Classic of Rites'' , social forms and ceremonies , a restoration of the original Lijing, lost in the third century B.C., describes ancient rites and court ceremonies.

Classic of History

The ''Classic of History'' is a collection of documents and speeches alleged to have been written by rulers and officials of the early period and before. It contains examples of early Chinese prose.

Spring and Autumn Annals

The ''Spring and Autumn Annals'' , a historical record of the state of Lu, Confucius's native state, from 722 B.C. to 479 B.C. written by Confucius, with implied condemnation of usurpations, murder, incest, etc.

Beyond the 5 Classics

The ''Classic of Music'' is sometime referred to as the sixth classic, but was lost by the time of the Han Dynasty. What remains now forms one of the Books in the ''Classic of Rites''.