Gan Bao

Gan Bao, courtesy name Lingsheng, was a native of Xincai in Runan (present-day Xincai, Henan) and a historian and man of letters of the Eastern Jin dynasty. His birth year is unknown, and he probably died around 336. He held posts such as assistant著作郎, Right Chief Clerk of the Minister over the Masses, and Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary, and led the compilation of the state history Jin Ji. Gan Bao is best known in Chinese literary history for his collection of zhiguai tales, In Search of the Supernatural (Soushen Ji), which gathers and organizes a large number of stories of gods, ghosts, and strange happenings, drawing on both folk legends and earlier records. Written in concise prose with intricate plots, the work had a profound influence on later biji fiction and supernatural literature, and he is therefore regarded as the founding figure of Chinese zhiguai fiction. Besides this collection, the library holds several related works, including Soushen Ji and Soushen Houji, a grand compendium of Han-Wei and Six Dynasties biji fiction, and editions for modern readers, showing continued interest in his works in classical and folk literature. Public information on the details of his life is limited.