An Investigation of Private Letters in the Liye Qin Slips

Abstract Private letters in the Liye Qin slips are the earliest physical manifestations in China of letters known until now. From over 3,000 published Liye slips, ten private letters were selected. Based on their textual analysis and research, investigations were made into the format, content, style, etiquette, and delivery of private letters before the Han Dynasty. It is pointed out that the Qin letters, as an extension of the epistolary genre that germinated during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, represent an important transitional stage towards the fully developed private letters in the two Han dynasties.