Abstract When contemporary scholars research into the results of Dong Zhongshu’ s study of the Confucian classic “Chunqiu”, their analyses can be divided into four categories. They are ‘negation’ (refusing to believe that it is a book of any academic significance), ‘conventionalism’ (conforming to the traditional interpretations of the Chinese classics), ‘hermeneutics’ (relying on this western philosophical concept to explore new viewpoints) and ‘contemporary ethics’ (believing that Dong was comparing the views between Confucius and his contemporaries). Among these, if “Chunqiu Fanlu” is considered as a book of explanatory ethics, it should not be regarded as an individual phenomenon. There must have been other scholars and similar value concepts available for reference during the times of Dong Zhongshu. This paper divides Dong Zhongshu’s interpretation of “Spring and Autumn” into the following sections: the core (‘kuang’), the rules (‘zhi’), citations (‘shi’) and nomenclature (‘minghao’). As a scholar who was determined to pass on the Confucian classics after the devastating fire ordered by Qin Shihuang to burn all books, Dong had revealed his intention to confine the contents of “Spring and Autumn” to a selected few. Not only had he prudently interpreted this classic with both worldly wisdom and logical reasoning, he had also put rules of such an interpretation under public critique. He had set a precise and specific platform for future debates by his posterity. Only those who love knowledge and think vigorously would truly appreciate Dong’s exemplary role in the echelon of traditional Confucian scholars.