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The Book of Songs (Shijing) functioned as a form of cultural expression that encompassed diverse historical periods and social strata, and it continued to be transmitted and performed even into the time of Confucius. However, after Confucius, the Book of Songs appears to have gradually departed from its original performative nature. In particular, following its canonization during the Han dynasty, interpretive distortions began to emerge, which were later further entrenched by Neo-Confucian scholars of the Tang and Song periods. A representative example of this process can be found in the poem “Guanju” (also known as “Guan Zhi”). Later scholars no longer regarded the Book of Songs as songs in the literal sense. Confucius’ well-known remarks?“‘Guanju’ is joyful but not licentious, sorrowful yet not hurtful” and “At the beginning of Master Zhi’s performance, when ‘Guanju’ was played, the music was expansive and filled the ears”?clearly constitute evaluations of musical performance. However, because later scholars could no longer experience “Guanju” as a performed song, some interpreted Confucius’ comments primarily in terms of textual meaning, while others attempted to understand them as musical criticism. The conflation of these distinct interpretive approaches appears to have generated considerable confusion. Moreover, as the process of canonization progressed, political and pedagogical interpretations were increasingly imposed upon the text, giving rise to sustained debates across subsequent generations. In light of these developments, a renewed clarification of the meaning and proper evaluation of “Guanju” as a poetic work within the Book of Songs is necessary.