These are an ancient Chinese collection of strategies for dealing with all manner of situations.
It is a well-known part of the folk literature of China and is believed to be about 1500 years old. It is traditionally composed of six sections, each containing six related strategies. There are different versions of The 36 Strategies, but the arrangement of six sections each containing six strategies is always the same. This is because of the significance of the number six in the I Ching and also the common perception among Chinese that the number six is always associated with deceit.