Zhang Zi's Record of Liang

汤球Nanhai Publication Company · ChinaJun 2024

3.4

Word count: 246 words
Chapters: 2

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Summary

This book is Tang Qiu's reconstruction of Zhang Zi's Liang Ji.

Editor's review

This book is Tang Qiu's edition of Zhang Zi's Liang Ji, a restored lost work of Hexi local history from the Sixteen Kingdoms period. Zhang Zi's Liang Ji recorded the history of the Former Liang and other regimes; the original is lost, and Tang Qiu extracted fragments from historical commentaries, encyclopedias, and other works, providing local materials beyond the standard histories for studying Five Liang politics, figures, and Hexi society. The Nanhai Publishing House edition (2024) follows Tang Qiu's reconstruction format, with most entries noting their sources for tracing. Its value lies in presenting the multi-source character of Sixteen Kingdoms historical materials and in allowing comparison with standard histories of the Former and Later Liang. Because the reconstruction is markedly fragmentary, readers need some awareness of source criticism and should not read it as a continuous history. Suitable for researchers of Wei-Jin and Northern-Southern Dynasties history and northwestern regional history, and for textual scholars consulting it by entry.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers of Wei-Jin and Northern-Southern Dynasties history seeking local sources on the Five Liang regimes
Enthusiasts of northwestern regional history and the Hexi Corridor interested in Sixteen Kingdoms regimes
Readers in textual and reconstruction studies examining Qing scholars' methods of restoring lost books
University history students using it as auxiliary material in source-reading courses

Not a good fit for

General readers needing continuous historical narrative and complete stories
Beginners who struggle with classical Chinese and rely on vernacular translations
Researchers expecting an authoritative critical edition or modern annotated edition

Reading tips

First review the reconstruction's format and source notes to form a basic judgment about each entry's origin.
Read the fragments of Zhang Zi's Liang Ji against the relevant sections of the Book of Jin.
Excerpt by regime or person and make simple source cards for easy retrieval.
Where source citations are brief, check the original encyclopedia or historical commentary to confirm the context.

About the publisher

Nanhai Publication Company China · Founded in 1988

Nanhai Publication Company is a comprehensive publisher known for its literature and arts titles, covering fields such as classical poetry, martial arts fiction, and folk literature. Judging from the more than 1,600 books in the database, the company has released classical poetic works including the Nineteen Old Poems and the Nine Songs, as well as multiple volumes of Huanzhulouzhu's series The Swordsmen of Mount Shu, along with related writings by authors such as Guan Hanqing, Qu Yuan, Zuo Si, and Wang Zhihuan. Its publishing character lies in balancing the organization of classic texts with the dissemination of popular literature, placing poetry anthologies alongside long martial arts novels and presenting a relatively diverse literary profile. Public information is limited, and further details about its editorial practices and series planning remain to be supplemented.

版权信息
张谘《凉记》

FAQ

Does the original Liang Ji by Zhang Zi still survive?

The original is lost; what we have today is Tang Qiu's compilation of fragments extracted from other works. The book is therefore a reconstruction, not the complete original, and the entries lack the original's inherent continuous structure; readers should keep this in mind.

What are the characteristics of Tang Qiu's reconstruction?

Tang Qiu's reconstructions usually note the source of each fragment and arrange them according to a set format, making it easy to trace origins. Their strength is providing leads and preserving fragmentary sources; their limitation is that the collection may be incomplete and some source notes brief, requiring verification against modern research.

Can this book be read as a general history?

Not recommended. A reconstruction consists of scattered entries lacking continuous narrative and full context, so reading it straight through is fragmenting. It is better used by topic or person, alongside standard histories and relevant research.

Is it suitable for learning about Sixteen Kingdoms history?

It can serve as auxiliary source material, helping readers understand partial records of the Former Liang and other regimes and the diversity of historical sources. But Sixteen Kingdoms history is complex; beginners should first read general works to build a framework, then use this book for topical verification and supplementation.

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About the author

汤球 Author

Tang Qiu is a noteworthy author in the field of Chinese classical text compilation, though public information about his life is limited: his nationality, dates of birth and death, and English name are all unknown. Judging from the 22 works recorded in the library, he devoted himself over the long term to recovering and organizing historical materials from the Sixteen Kingdoms and Eastern Jin periods. His representative works include Collected Surviving Chapters of the Springs and Autumns of the Thirty States, Collected Surviving Chapters of the Nine Histories of the Former Jin, and a supplemented edition of the Springs and Autumns of the Sixteen States, as well as recovered fragments of Chang Qu's Shu Li Shu, Liu Bing's Dunhuang Veritable Records, Zhang Zi's Liang Ji, and Yao Hedu's Later Qin Ji. His work focuses on gathering scattered remnants and restoring their original form, providing a fairly systematic textual foundation for studying regime changes and local history in this period. His works fall under categories such as classic works, historical reading, and literary appreciation, and hold both historical value and reading reference significance.