Record of Things Previously Heard

祝允明Jul 2024

3.4

Word count: 20K words
Chapters: 67

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive and literary. Early forms of thought have distinctive features: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and local gazetteers are all profound and extensive. This series, "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers can cultivate their character and subtly appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Qianwen Ji is a notebook-style work by the Ming dynasty man of letters Zhu Yunming. It mostly records anecdotes about earlier figures, miscellaneous court and local affairs, and textual and historical research, combining historical value with the appeal of notebook literature. Zhu Yunming was known for his broad learning and vivid writing; the entries are short and compact, the narration concise and occasionally insightful. The book shows Ming literati interest in figures and institutions of earlier dynasties and preserves materials that lie outside the official histories. This edition belongs to the "Essence of Classic Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series and focuses on preserving the original appearance of the book. It is suitable as an introductory read for understanding the traditional notebook genre and the intellectual interests of Ming literati. It need not be read in one sitting; it can be treated as a collection of historical and literary notes to dip into in spare moments, appreciating how people of earlier times recorded events and judged people. Readers interested in Ming documents and anecdotes and legends may also find leads for further investigation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in Ming notebook literature and literati anecdotes
Beginners in Chinese classics who want an easy introduction to traditional historical and literary notes
Writers or researchers seeking ancient anecdotes and historical and literary leads
Readers who like short entries and fragmented, dip-in reading

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic general history or a complete historical narrative
Readers who prefer long, continuous plots and modern expression
Beginners who need detailed annotations and line-by-line vernacular translation

Reading tips

Read the table of contents and preface first to get a general idea of how the entries are categorized, then start with the pieces that interest you.
Read three to five entries a day and jot down the figures and sources to make cross-referencing and further inquiry easier.
When you meet an unfamiliar allusion, skip it first and return to it with reference books after finishing the piece, to reduce frustration.
Read it alongside other Ming notebooks to appreciate how different authors select and narrate people and events and how their styles differ.

版权信息
前闻记
高皇帝敬天
正经传
平吴仁言
制度
公宴节钱
给有司官钱
驿儿属对
龙须
欧阳都尉
勤政
示俭
持志
天王堂土地
诛李司徒
床下义气
宋祭酒
先曾祖受天恩
危素
嘉定县吏人
道不拾遗
修书
仁庙右文（「仁庙右文」，「右」原作「古」，据明纪录汇编本改。）
霍侍郎
睿皇征吴处士
英宗皇帝圣德
英宗免礼官罪
沉孝子
妻代夫死
平淮碑
碧落碑
王敦杀妓
杨尚书
陈节妇
片言折狱
唐宋金石
啖执炙者
武功伯赋何文渊
讯盗
身丁钱
晋元帝
晁错张逵
曾状元
修史人李至刚
咏王少卿
蔑面事际
盛寅先生
李坛
奸狱
南京奸僧
关千户开弓
义虎传
戏语得妇
下西洋
题本（文多不录。）
人数
里程
船号
船名
天象
程南云
逸诗
尤六十王昌四
弄
娼冤
近时人别号

FAQ

What does Qianwen Ji mainly record?

According to the source material, this is a notebook by Zhu Yunming. It mostly records anecdotes about earlier figures, miscellaneous court and local affairs, and textual and historical research. The entries are short and combine historical value with the appeal of notebook literature, offering observations beyond the official histories.

Can I read this book without a foundation in classical Chinese?

This book belongs to a Chinese classics series that preserves the original appearance of the text, so reading the original requires some classical Chinese. Readers with a weak foundation can use reference books or read it alongside an annotated edition, starting with the easy and moving to the difficult, and need not insist on reading it all.

Is this book suitable for reading straight through from beginning to end?

Notebook works usually have no continuous plot between entries, so they are better suited to dipping in and reading in installments. Reading straight through is possible, but choosing pieces by interest and reading a few entries a day often brings out the notebook-style appeal more fully.

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About the author

祝允明 Author

Zhu Yunming was a man of letters in the Ming dynasty; reliable public sources on his life, official career, dates, and native place are limited, and this profile makes no conjectures about them. The library holds seven of his works, including the Huai Xing Tang Collection, the upper and lower volumes of Qian Wen Ji, and Ye Ji, as well as a further Qian Wen Ji text that may be a differently titled edition of the same book. His writings span both poetry and prose and miscellaneous notes: the collection contains prefaces, colophons, letters, and travel records in a clear, fluent style, while the notes chiefly record court and local observations, anecdotes about people, and institutional and historical matters, written concisely with an antiquarian bent. Such works are often consulted for insight into the life of Ming literati and the tradition of historical notes, and are classified under Eastern philosophy, classic works, and culture, reflecting his dual orientation toward literature and historical source materials.