In the early Ming period when Neo-Confucianism was orthodox, Qu Yuan (ca.343-ac.277B.C.) was criticized by the Neo-confucianists and the high officials in the court, and therefore the study of chu Ci was in a low key, with the only exception of Zhu Xi’s (1130-1200) chu ci Jizhu 梵辭集註(Collected Commetnary on Chu Ci). That is because Zhu Xi’s approach was seen as the orthodox Confucian perspective and hence the unchallengeable status of his commentary. After the Mid-Ming times, there occurred a great change in the academic climate, a surge of new studies on Chu Ci was initiated. Zhou Young’s Chu Ci zhulűe however, reveals the fading out of the Neo-Confucian influence. Though short and concise, this commentary can be seen as a pioneer work to display opinions quite different from those of Zhu Xi’s Zhou explicates Chu Ci from a perspective that concentrates more on the literary elements of the work itself than on its lpolitical and ethical grounds. In addition, Zhou’s discussions and speculations on the dating of each chapter of Chu Ci, and his treatise on Jiu Ge (Nine Songs) in effect paves the ways for later commentators on Chu Ci. This article will look into the aspects of this book, evaluate its strengths and weaknesses, so as to provide a general picture of Chu ci studies in the Ming dynasty.