Record of Shan

高似孙Jun 2024

4.0

Word count: 53K words
Chapters: 15

Summary

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

Editor's review

Shan Lu is a famous local gazetteer compiled by Gao Sisun of the Southern Song dynasty. It records the mountains and rivers, notable figures, historic sites, local products, and poetry and prose of Shan County (around present-day Shengzhou, Zhejiang), and has long been regarded as one of the Song dynasty gazetteers notable for strict organization and literary quality. This book is included in the "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts" series, which preserves the appearance of the original book and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. Its value lies in being readable both as local historical material for examining the geography and social conditions of eastern Zhejiang in the Song dynasty, and as classical prose for appreciating how earlier writers described scenery and recorded events. It should be read within the tradition of Song dynasty local gazetteers, with attention to its cited sources and arrangement, rather than judged by the standards of a modern travel guide. It suits readers interested in Zhejiang local history, Song dynasty texts, and ancient geographical works, who wish to read slowly and savor it, and is also suitable as one of the selected texts for reciting classics of Chinese learning.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers studying Song dynasty local gazetteers and the historical geography of eastern Zhejiang
Readers interested in local documents from the Shengzhou area of Zhejiang
Classics enthusiasts who enjoy reading ancient prose and note-style writing
Students of history and literature who need to consult original Song dynasty gazetteer texts

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking light, popular historical stories
Readers expecting a modern travel guide or practical handbook
Readers unused to classical Chinese who need sentence-by-sentence vernacular translation

Reading tips

Begin with the table of contents and the preface and postscript to understand the book's structure and editorial intent, then choose categories of interest for close reading.
Read alongside maps of Song dynasty eastern Zhejiang geography and history, noting place names and their historical changes as you go.
When encountering cited poetry and prose, skip them at first and return on a second reading, so as not to be stalled by dense allusions from the start.

版权信息
剡录
提要
剡録原序
剡录巻一
剡録巻二
剡録巻三
剡録巻四
剡録巻五
剡録巻六上
剡録巻六下
剡録巻七
剡録巻八
剡録巻九
剡録巻十

FAQ

What does Shan Lu mainly record?

It is a local gazetteer compiled by Gao Sisun of the Southern Song dynasty. It mainly records the mountains and rivers, notable figures, historic sites, local products, and related poetry and prose of Shan County, around present-day Shengzhou, Zhejiang. It is one of the more structurally complete Song dynasty gazetteers and can be used to understand the area's historical geography and documents.

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

This book preserves the appearance of the original, and the main text is in classical Chinese with no sentence-by-sentence vernacular translation. Readers with a weak foundation in classical Chinese can read it alongside reference works and annotated editions, or begin with the short passages describing scenery and events, rather than attempting to read the whole book straight through from the start.

How is this book different from a modern travel guide?

It is an ancient local gazetteer, focused on recording geographical evolution, people's deeds, and documentary lore. Its arrangement and selections follow the conceptions of its time and it offers no modern practical information such as transportation or lodging. Its value lies in documents and cultural history, not as a travel reference.

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About the author

高似孙 Author

Gao Sisun was a literatus and scholar of the Southern Song period. Extant public sources on his life are limited, and details such as his native place, birth and death dates, and official career cannot be reliably established. Two of his works are included here: Shan Lu (Records of Shan) and Yan Jian (Notes on Inkstones, unannotated edition). In subject matter, Shan Lu belongs to the genre of local topography, describing the mountains and rivers, people, and historical anecdotes of the Shan region, and combining geographical record with literary value. Yan Jian centers on inkstones, discussing their forms, types, and related poems and allusions, reflecting the Song literati's taste for connoisseurship of objects. Both works are concise in style, emphasizing the compilation of sources and the examination of names and objects, and are often classified under literary appreciation. Gao Sisun's writing leans toward documentary organization and critical evaluation, and is representative of Song dynasty notes, local gazetteers, and writings on studio objects, offering reference for the study of local culture and literati life.