The ancient "six arts" refer to: ceremony, music, shooting, imperial, calligraphy and number.
1. Rites
Rites are etiquette. The ancients had a set of code of conduct for daily events, such as saluting parents and elders and people with different official positions. There are also some daily activities, such as offering sacrifices to the emperor and funeral, which all have different etiquette, such as: auspicious ceremony (sacrificial ceremony), fierce ceremony (funeral ceremony), military ceremony (military etiquette), and guest ceremony (princes appear before the emperor). As a country of etiquette, etiquette is a compulsory course for ancient students. Doing it wrong will be laughed at and even affect promotion and making friends.
2. Music
Music is music, which also includes poetry and dance. The poems of Han Yuefu, which we are learning now, and the ci-fu of Song Dynasty were all sung in ancient times. The earliest collection of poems in China, The Book of Songs, was also sung, including the well-known Jia Jian. Therefore, ancient gentlemen should also learn music. Ancient musical instruments mainly included chimes, chimes, cymbals, drums, harps, bells, sheng and Xiao.
Third, shooting
is archery, including small arrows and large crossbows. This is an important weapon in ancient times. A gentleman not only can write, but also requires martial arts, so he also learns archery in class.
fourth, the imperial
imperial is to control the carriage. It is equivalent to a modern driver's license test. In ancient times, people who could afford a carriage were not ordinary people. There was a saying that "there were six emperors and four princes". Only the son of heaven is qualified to take a six-horse-drawn car. Low-ranking officials can only ride donkeys, and the people rely on ox carts or feet. Therefore, the ancient gentleman should also learn to drive a carriage.
V. Books
Books include calligraphy, reading and writing articles. Some also say that painting is included. In ancient times, after the Sui and Tang Dynasties, there were imperial examinations, so four books and five classics, Confucian classics and poems were taught in schools. Before the imperial examination, the school mainly talked about Confucian classics, but it was not as targeted as later generations. It was more about teachers' own preferences, and teachers would talk about which subjects they studied deeply.
VI. Numbers
Numbers are numbers, including "number, reason and image" in the Eight Diagrams of Zhouyi. Famous mathematical works in ancient China include Nine Chapters of Arithmetic and Calculations of Classics. Pythagorean theorem and pi are also achievements in Chinese mathematics.