The idea that summarizes the importance of history in traditional Chinese culture is that

The Six Classics are all history.

The Six Classics are All History is a claim that all six of the Classics, namely the Yi, the Book, the Poems, the Rites, the Music, and the Spring and Autumn Annals, are ancient Chinese history books.

Chang Xuecheng of the Qing Dynasty, in his book "Literature and History - The Inner Chapters - On the Teaching of Yi," also suggested that "the six sutras are all history." He thought that the six sutras were the historical records of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, and were not written by the sages for the purpose of teaching and speaking. He put forward the propositions that "the six sutras are all history" and "the six sutras are all instruments", and opposed to the idea that "the Tao should be spoken in isolation from the instruments".

Recently, Gong Zizhen and Zhang Binglin also advocated this idea, see Gong Zizhen's "Ancient History and Sinking Theory II", and Zhang Binglin's "Theories on State History - The Original Scriptures".

Expanded Information

The Historical Records of the People's Republic of China (史记-孔子世家) argues that the Six Classics were "compiled" by Confucius. Liao Jiping believes that the Book, Poetry, Rites, Music, Spring and Autumn, written by Confucius. Pi Xirui "history of scripture", Liao Jiping "know the holy chapter", Kang Youwei "Confucius changed the system of examination" refuted the ancient scripture, that "the ancient text of the controversy" began to doubt the scriptures, and gradually to the non-sacred.

Since Du Pre said "Spring and Autumn Annals" to honor Zhou Gong卑孔子, Song said "Yi" to honor Fuxi, King Wen to pressure Confucius, the six Confucian classics as the old text of the King Wen and Zhou Gong, before the Han is ignored this point of view. Liu Xin, Ban Gu repeatedly called Confucius, do not say Zhou Gong. By the time Emperor Ming of Han Dynasty and sacrificed Zhou Kong, Zheng Xuan took Zhou Gong as the first saint and Confucius as the first teacher, which was more respected by the ancient literati.

Bright.com - "Six scriptures are all history" or "six scriptures are all scripture"?

Baidu Encyclopedia - The Six Classics are all History