Surviving Drafts of Ren Wen
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Summary
The Drafts of Ren Wen were written by Mr. Ren Shaohai of Nanchong. In former days, when I served as education commissioner in Liangzhou and Yizhou, I entered the East through Kuimen and climbed the twelve peaks of Mount Wu, which rise steep and towering, now clouded at dawn, now rain-swept at dusk, so rugged that words can hardly describe them. Northward I climbed the Jiange, whose walls stand a thousand ren high, exhausting the perils of the earth and the steepness of the road—this is the solidity of mountains and rivers that made Marquis Wu rejoice midstream and Zhang Mengyang sweep a stone and name it. When I sought out Mr. Ren at the Qingju fishing terrace, the gentleman was nearly a hundred years old, yet his ears and eyes were keen, his skin like ice and snow, and his bearing as delicate as a maiden's; he discussed matters with me far into the night.
Editor's review
This preface opens with the author's journey while overseeing education in Liang and Yi, entering the Kui Gate in the east, climbing the Twelve Peaks of Mount Wu, and ascending the Jian Pavilion in the north. The steepness of mountains and rivers and the shifting clouds and rain of morning and dusk seize attention first; then the brush turns to a visit to Mr. Ren Han at the Qingju fishing terrace: nearly a hundred years old yet keen of ear and eye, with skin like ice and snow, he discoursed with the author deep into the night. The whole piece places the peril of geography, the solidity of mountains and rivers, and the purity and severity of a person within a single text, while allusions to the Marquis Wu and Zhang Mengyang add a layer of historical depth to the landscape. It reads with the immediacy of a travel record and with the intent of preface writing to sketch a portrait. Ren Han and his writings thus leave a silhouette, through which readers may sense the pleasure Ming literati took in visiting friends, discussing learning, and using landscape to set off character. Not long but clearly layered, it is suited to slow reading, with attention to the transitions between scenery and portraiture.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers interested in Ming literati social circles and preface writing
- Readers who enjoy landscape travel writing combined with character sketches
- Enthusiasts of local documents or Ba-Shu humanities
- Self-learners wishing to build up Classical Chinese allusions and descriptive sentence patterns
Not a good fit for
- Readers seeking the complete poems and prose or a systematic collected works of Ren Han
- Readers who prefer plot-driven narrative and lack patience for scenic description and discussion
- Beginners with little Classical Chinese reading experience who need full annotation
Reading tips
- First trace the spatial sequence of Kui Gate, Mount Wu, the Jian Pavilion, and the Qingju fishing terrace in the order of the journey, then consider how the scenery prepares for the entrance of the person.
- Extract separately the sentences describing Ren Han's appearance and the night conversation, and compare their style with the earlier landscape description.
- When encountering allusions such as the Marquis Wu and Zhang Mengyang, look up their sources first, then reread the original sentences to see how the allusions deepen the meaning.
- Try writing a short passage of about three hundred characters imitating the structure of "visiting a person by first describing the road" to appreciate the charm of this structure.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 任文逸稿序
- 任文逸稿叙
- 任文逸稿卷之一
- 己丑廷试策
- 乙未会试策
- 戊戌武举会试策
- 卫甸行宫火灾疏
- 辞免服色俸级疏
- 行在题覆传奉疏
- 庚子飬病疏
- 庚子乞休疏
- 任文逸稿卷之二
- 复渭厓霍詹事书
- 复甬川张学士书
- 复许松皐太宰书
- 钓台云水赋
- 虞秦公世德碑
- 雪山三镇平羗记
- 顺庆府志序
- 禺山文叙
- 南充志序
- 送唐渔石归飬序
- 韩石溪七十寿序
- 刻王堂表奏序
- 宋状元仆射何公显忠祠记
- 易统序
- 任文逸稿卷之三
- 果州浮梁记
- 康济篇代安汉父老诸生为太守王公寿
- 七引
- 雨?只鹿应期诗叙
- 建武城碑
- 文昌宫为两庠诸生保举醮疏
- 寿王卓峯少参八十序
- 寿卦
- 拙齐门人赠言
- 荅胡庐山太极图辨
- 题陈图南睡像复孙山甫
- 虞飬纯监察南北两镇世家序
- 任文逸稿卷之四
- 赠汾阳王三十六代孙郭汝蒙序
- ??集说
- 宪副松谷王公为父母八十双寿序
- 杨园小引
- 廵抚王云泽请封序
- 五岳陈公升福建按察使序
- 谭二守考绩序
- 鸿蒙游送胡庐山提学归豫章
- 陈玉叔清醒山房记
- 送郡司马吴德懋剌阶州序
- 静庵梁分守升按察使序
- 送周秋西太守考绩序
- 题教秦绪言小引
- 沈世家序
- 五岳诗叙
- 金堂遗爱?子叙
- 孙山甫督学集序
- 任文逸稿卷之五
- 题陈于韶卧云楼摘稿
- 吴越诗引
- 吴绍溪诗序
- 卢氏城隍庙碑
- 灵丘王慱士王庵沈君墓志铭
- 刻秦苑吟编题词
- 林锦峯太守淂荐叙
- 川北分宪王用吾升广东少参序
- 梁静庵父母合葬墓志铭
- 送王云泽都宪开府南贑序
- 节推泗□唐君考绩序
- 温泉李征君传
- 送太守周君入觐序
- 送孙山甫升观察使序
- 承恩双寿序
- 送邹鹤山掌宪晋幕
- 任文逸稿卷之六
- 三司马祠堂记
- 苍溪史参议父母合葬墓志铭
- 沃田先生墓志铭
- 故人赵别驾辞永康序
- 吴渐盘迁宾川叙
- 西充令马君得荐序
- 李翰林诗集题辞
- 与杜甥行人劝学书
- 祭丹泉王谏议文
- 祭亡甥杜谏议文
- 贺大中丞晋峰李老先生平羗序
- 虢城新开学门记
- 卢氏县丞奖励序
FAQ
What is the function of describing the steepness of Mount Wu and the Jian Pavilion?
Describing the peril of mountains and rivers both explains the difficulty of the journey to visit the person and uses the magnificent environment to set off the purity and severity of the visited figure; it also borrows allusions to the Marquis Wu and Zhang Mengyang to add historical weight to the geography, making the scenery a preparation for the portraiture.
What kind of person is Ren Han in the text?
The text says he was nearly a hundred years old yet keen of ear and eye, with skin like ice and snow, and discoursed with the author deep into the night, presenting an image of a long-lived elder with a clear and vigorous spirit who was talkative and good at discussion; but the portrayal is brief, and readers can only imagine the person from these silhouettes.
What genre does this text belong to?
Judging from the title and content, it belongs to preface writing, with the nature of an introduction to Ren Han's manuscripts; at the same time it incorporates the author's landscape observations and visits during his educational tour, combining elements of travel record and character sketch.
Can it be read without annotations?
The general meaning can be grasped, but the text contains many allusions and place names; if sources such as the Marquis Wu and Zhang Mengyang are unclear, a layer of understanding is lost. It is advisable to prepare brief annotations or look up key terms first, then read the whole text.
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About the author
任翰
Author
Ren Han's biographical details have not been found in publicly available sources; all that is known is that he is the author of a single work, Renzhuo Yigao (Surviving Drafts of Ren Han), usually classified under Eastern philosophy. As verifiable biographical information is extremely limited, his native place, dates of birth and death, and academic background cannot be confirmed, and no speculation is offered here. Judging from the title and classification of the extant work, Ren Han's writing may center on traditional thought and personal reflection, in a style akin to essays and notes that emphasizes the recording and elucidation of ideas rather than systematic treatises. The word yigao ("surviving drafts") in the title also suggests that the contents may be uncollected or unfinished pieces. Such texts often preserve the author's more direct traces of thought and are of some value for understanding his intellectual orientation and habits of expression. Although only one work by Ren Han is currently recorded and its influence appears limited, the book can still serve as a concrete example for observing works in the field of Eastern philosophy.
