Classified Biographies, Ancient and Modern

董谷士Jun 2024

3.0

Word count: 335K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Since Ouyang Xun produced the Yiwen Leiju and Yu Shinan the Beitang Shuchao, encyclopedias (leishu) began to circulate in the world; thereafter imitators multiplied, gathering a hundred medicines into one basket for the physician's use alone, or arraying the five weapons in an arsenal for the brave to wield—convenient enough for compilers, yet the editors are hard to find, and rare is the man of broad learning capable of selection. Rambling words and stale phrases pass down in endless repetition, easily wearying the reader; the discerning have long deplored this. Master Dong Nongshan of Tiaoshang, rich in learning and mighty in talent, a man of true cultivation, has in recent years, I hear, been compiling an encyclopedia. I said: this must be something extraordinary. Recently he showed me a first installment arranged by the seasons and days of the year. I looked through it and sighed: marvelous—nothing like it in antiquity. Writers who record the seasons have never gone beyond noting the festivals and fine days, roughly culling old precedents into categories.

Editor's review

Gujin Leizhuan is a compilation that follows the tradition of ancient leishu (classified reference books). Its preface clearly traces the lineage of this genre: from the Yiwu Leiju and Beitang Shuchao onward, leishu multiplied, making it convenient for writers to gather material, yet they often suffered from editors' lack of selectivity, becoming repetitious and tiresome. The book is organized by seasonal dates and daily order, arranging festivals and related historical anecdotes in sequence, attempting in its structure to open a new path beyond earlier leishu. For today's readers, its value lies more in the documentary and structural aspects: it allows one to observe the editorial approach and organization of materials in ancient leishu, and to see the choices the editor made between the convenience of "gathering a hundred medicines in one basket" and the drawbacks of "idle talk and lengthy phrases." It need not be read straight through; it is suited to browsing by entry, consulting as needed, as a window into ancient seasonal records and the leishu tradition rather than a monograph to be plowed through from cover to cover.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of ancient texts and leishu, interested in editorial structure and source materials
Enthusiasts of folklore and seasonal culture who wish to consult traditional records of festivals and anecdotes
Students of literature and history who need examples of leishu lineage and editorial choices
Readers of traditional culture who enjoy browsing-style reading and consulting as needed

Not a good fit for

General readers expecting a coherent narrative or complete storyline
Beginners who need modern vernacular explanations and lack patience for classical Chinese
Readers seeking a systematic general survey of seasonal folklore rather than a compilation of entries

Reading tips

Begin with the preface to understand the editor's views on the leishu tradition and its shortcomings, then proceed to the entries.
It need not be read straight through; skip by seasonal date or category of interest, using it as a reference book to consult as needed.
Jot down the sources and classification of entries as you read, to facilitate comparison of editorial differences among similar leishu.
Read alongside leishu such as the Yiwu Leiju and Beitang Shuchao to observe choices and borrowings in material.

版权信息
序
自序
古今类传卷之一
古今类传卷之二
古今类传卷之三
古今类传卷之四

FAQ

What kind of book is a leishu?

A leishu is an ancient reference work that compiles materials by category, gathering records from classics, histories, philosophical works, and belles-lettres into classified sections for consultation or for culling diction. The preface mentions the Yiwu Leiju and Beitang Shuchao as early representatives; subsequent works multiplied, making them convenient for writers, but they also tended to become repetitious due to editors' lack of selectivity.

Does this book need to be read from beginning to end?

No. It is a compilation of leishu character, with entries arranged by category or seasonal date, better suited to browsing and consulting as needed. To understand the editor's approach, read the preface first; to look up specific seasonal anecdotes, go directly to the relevant entries—reading straight through is more likely to fatigue.

What criticism does the preface level at leishu?

The preface notes that leishu were made for the convenience of writers gathering material, like medicines gathered in a basket or weapons arrayed in an armory; but editors were rarely truly accomplished and lacked selectivity, resulting in "idle talk and lengthy phrases, endlessly repeated," which easily tires readers. This criticism also explains why the editor of this book arranged its structure differently.

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About the author

董谷士 Author

Dong Gushi is an author about whom public sources provide limited information: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are not clearly recorded, and the only confirmed fact is that one work survives under his name. That work, Gulei Zhuan (A Classified Compilation of Ancient and Modern Materials), is categorized as a philosophical reader. Judging from its title, it appears to be a work that gathers relevant ancient and modern materials in a classified arrangement, resembling a traditional reference compendium or source collection that allows readers to locate and compare entries by category. Such compilation usually requires wide reading in old texts, selection of key points, and orderly arrangement, suggesting that the author devoted care to organizing and classifying materials. Because the original work circulated narrowly and has attracted little research, Dong Gushi's intellectual background and specific life remain difficult to examine in detail, and his influence lies mainly in the way Gulei Zhuan preserved and organized reference materials for later readers. Those approaching the book should understand it in light of its classified-compilation format and its status as a philosophical reader.