Editorial Method and Sources
How TanXun separates classical sources, later tradition, reproducible calculations, and modern cultural interpretation.
Purpose
TanXun explains Chinese metaphysical traditions as cultural and historical material. We distinguish source text, later commentary, and present-day interpretation instead of presenting them as one unquestionable system.
Source hierarchy
We begin with public classical texts such as the Zhouyi, the Hongfan chapter of the Shangshu, and the calendrical treatises of the Shiji. Annotated research and reference works form a second layer; accessible editorial explanation comes last. Where schools disagree, we preserve that disagreement.
Limits of the tools
Reproducible operations such as date conversion are separated from cultural interpretation. Claims about character, luck, or future events are not scientifically validated forecasts, and approximate calculations are identified as such.
AI-assisted material
AI may help structure a response or assist translation. It is not evidence for a classical claim and does not replace source checking. Health, legal, financial, safety, and major life decisions require real-world evidence and qualified advice.
Review and corrections
TanXun project maintainers take responsibility for the pages because we do not invent personal expert credentials. Article pages show when the page note was updated and suggest material for further checking; this is not a claim that every sentence already has a line-by-line citation. Factual, translation, and calculation errors are corrected after checking rather than hidden behind a cosmetic date change.