On Qin

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.4

Word count: 1.1K words
Chapters: 1

Summary

A merchant of ancient Daqin. According to the "Chapter on the Countries of the South Seas" in the Book of Liang, in 226 CE (the fifth year of Huangwu of Wu) he traveled by sea to the state of Wu, where he had an audience with Sun Quan, spoke of the customs and manners of Daqin, and afterward returned to his own country.

Editor's review

This book centers on the travels of a merchant of ancient Daqin, its core thread drawn from the record in the "Chapter on the Countries of the South Seas" of the Book of Liang: in 226 CE he reached the state of Wu by sea, had an audience with Sun Quan, and spoke of the customs and manners of Daqin. It is short, yet it brings out a fragment of the history of Chinese-foreign communication that is easily overlooked; through it readers can see how ancient maritime exchange, the merchant's identity, and contact between polities intertwined. The book clearly identifies its historical sources and is suitable as an introductory read for understanding early Chinese-foreign exchange, and can also be read alongside the relevant chapters of the Book of Liang. As you read, it is worth placing it in the context of Wu's foreign relations and South Seas trade, noting the distinction between historical record and later inference, and appreciating how the author sketches a figure and an era from a brief record. For readers who like to enter big history through small details, this little book offers an intriguing angle of observation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers interested in the history of Chinese-foreign communication and ancient maritime trade
Students needing an introductory reference to the relevant historical materials in the Book of Liang
Readers who enjoy entering history through fragments of a person's life

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a complete biography or a systematic general history
Researchers needing extensive textual criticism, annotations, and the depth of specialized papers

Reading tips

First read the relevant passage in the "Chapter on the Countries of the South Seas" of the Book of Liang, then use this book to understand the figure's background.
As you read, mark the original historical text and the author's inferences so as to distinguish them.
You may combine this with general background on Wu's foreign contacts and consider the role of the merchant's identity within them.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息

FAQ

In which historical work does this merchant of Daqin appear?

According to the materials in this book, his deeds are recorded in the "Chapter on the Countries of the South Seas" of the Book of Liang, which states that in 226 CE he reached the state of Wu by sea, had an audience with Sun Quan, spoke of the customs and manners of Daqin, and afterward returned to his own country.

What background knowledge should I have before reading this book?

A general understanding of the state of Wu during the Three Kingdoms period and basic knowledge of ancient South Seas maritime exchange will suffice. The book identifies its historical sources, and readers may also first look through the relevant chapters of the Book of Liang to establish background.

Is this book suitable for use as research material?

The book leans more toward history writing for general readers and is suitable as an introductory reference for understanding this historical material. For specialized research, it is advisable to rely mainly on the original text of the Book of Liang and related academic works.

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.