三教九流

The Three Religions (namely Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism) was established on January 9, 574, according to History of the Northern Dynasties. And the Nine Schools (namely Confucianism, Daoism, Naturalism, Legalism, Logicians, Mohism, Diplomatists, Syncretism, and Agriculturalism) is from:

諸子十家，其可觀者九家而已。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, trad.]

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诸子十家，其可观者九家而已。 [Traditional Chinese poetry, simp.]

From: The Book of Han, circa 1^st century CE

Zhūzǐ shí jiā, qí kěguān zhě jiǔ jiā éryǐ. [Pinyin]

Only nine out of the ten schools of thought prove worthwhile.

Note that 小說家／小说家 (xiǎoshuōjiā, “School of ‘Minor-talks’”) was excluded henceforth.

The idiom as a whole first attested in the early 13^th century.

三教九流

1. different schools of thought
2. (often derogatory) people from all walks of life

• 九流三教 (jiǔliúsānjiào)

• A General Introduction to Various Schools of Thought by Zhang Taiyan