The Outer City of Tales
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Summary
Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long history and are highly original, inventive, and literary. Early intellectual forms are especially distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and local customs and geography are all vast and profound. This "Essence of the Chinese Classics" series preserves the original appearance of the texts 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
Shuo Fu is a vast compilation of miscellaneous notes edited by Tao Zongyi, drawing on short works from successive dynasties—notes, miscellaneous discourses, geographical records, and miscellaneous investigations—arranged by category. Its contents range across institutional regulations and customs, anecdotes of persons, examinations of names and objects, and miscellaneous discussions of poetry and prose, and it has long been regarded as an important repository for preserving scattered and lost writings. This edition preserves the original appearance of the text, emphasizing fidelity and transmission, so that readers can glimpse the scope of sources and the compilation methods of traditional miscellaneous notes. Its value lies not in systematic rigor but in the richness of its materials and the diversity of its categories; casual browsing often yields unexpected finds. It is best treated as a reference library rather than a连贯 work: first survey the table of contents to grasp the categories, then read selectively according to interest; when encountering cited works, trace them back to their originals, note the sources and chronological layers of different entries, and through comparison appreciate the uses and limits of a miscellaneous compilation.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Researchers of ancient notes and documents who need to check scattered materials
- Enthusiasts of traditional culture who enjoy browsing miscellaneous anecdotes and records
- Students of literature and history who wish to become familiar with the conventions of miscellaneous compilations and citation practices
- Writers and researchers who need obscure allusions and leads on names and objects
Not a good fit for
- Readers who hope to read straight through and seek a complete narrative
- Beginners who need a systematic knowledge framework and prefer clearly organized textbooks
- Readers with little patience for fragmented entries and frequent jumping between topics
Reading tips
- First browse the table of contents and categories, mark the sections that interest you, and read by topic rather than straight through.
- Keep a notebook recording cited titles and entry sources for later tracing to originals.
- Read only a few entries at a time; when encountering unfamiliar names or objects, consult reference works before continuing.
- Read alongside similar miscellaneous compilations to compare differences in source selection and arrangement.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 三秦记（辛氏）
- 长安志（宋敏求）
- 关中记（潘岳）
- 洛阳记（陆机）
- 梁州记（刘澄之）
- 梁京寺记（阙名）
- 宜都记（袁崧）
- 益州记（任豫）
- 荆州记（盛弘之）
- 湘中记（罗含）
- 武陵记（鲍坚）
- 汉南记（张莹）
- 南雍州记（王韶）
- 安城记（王孚）
- 南康记（邓徳明）
- 浔阳记（张僧鉴）
- 鄱阳记（刘澄之）
- 九江志（何晏）
- 丹阳记（山谦之）
- 会稽记（孔晔）
- 永嘉郡记（郑缉之）
- 三齐畧记（伏琛）
- 南越志（沈怀逺）
- 广州记（顾微）
- 广志（郭义恭）
- 番禺杂记（郑熊）
- 始兴记（王韶）
- 林邑记（阙名）
- 凉州记（叚龟龙）
- 交州记（刘欣期）
- 沙州记（叚国）
- 云南志畧（李京）
- 桂海虞衡志（范成大）
- 岳阳风土记（范致明）
- 眞腊风土记（周达观）
- 陈留风俗传（江微）
- 成都古今记（赵抃）
- 临海水土记（阙名）
- 临海异物志（沈莹）
- 吴地记（陆广微）
- 游城南注（张礼）
- 北户录（段公路）
- 湖山胜槩（泗水潜夫）
- 约斋燕游志（张镃）
- 入越记（吕祖谦）
- 吴郡诸山録（周必大）
- 庐山后録（周必大）
- 九华山録（周必大）
- 金华游録（方凤）
- 大岳志（方升）
- 来南录（李翱）
- 入蜀记（陆游）
- 揽辔录（范成大）
- 广志（郭义恭）
- 番禺杂记（郑熊）
- 始兴记（王韶）
- 林邑记（阙名）
- 凉州记（叚龟龙）
- 交州记（刘欣期）
- 沙州记（叚国）
- 云南志畧（李京）
- 桂海虞衡志（范成大）
- 岳阳风土记（范致明）
- 眞腊风土记（周达观）
- 陈留风俗传（江微）
- 成都古今记（赵抃）
- 临海水土记（阙名）
- 临海异物志（沈莹）
- 吴地记（陆广微）
- 游城南注（张礼）
- 北户录（段公路）
- 湖山胜槩（泗水潜夫）
- 约斋燕游志（张镃）
- 入越记（吕祖谦）
- 吴郡诸山録（周必大）
- 庐山后録（周必大）
- 九华山録（周必大）
- 金华游録（方凤）
- 大岳志（方升）
- 来南录（李翱）
- 入蜀记（陆游）
- 揽辔录（范成大）
- 骖鸾录（范成大）
- 吴船录（范成大）
- 泛舟录（周必大）
- 泛舟录（周必大）
- 干道奏事録（周必大）
- 河源志（潘昻霄）
- 于役志（欧阳修）
- 峡程记（韦庄）
- 述异记（任昉）
FAQ
Is Shuo Fu suitable for reading from beginning to end?
Not very. It belongs to the miscellaneous-compilation genre; entries often lack a continuous thread, and the categories are diverse, so reading straight through easily leads to fatigue and poor absorption. A more reasonable approach is to survey the table of contents first, read selectively by topic or interest, and treat it as a reference library to consult and browse, pausing to verify as you go; this yields more than forcing your way through the whole book.
Is all the content in this book written by Tao Zongyi himself?
No. According to common public-domain knowledge, Shuo Fu was mainly compiled by Tao Zongyi from earlier notes and miscellaneous discourses; it is a miscellaneous compilation, and most entries are quoted from other books rather than being his own writings. Readers should therefore note the source and chronological layer of each piece of material and should not take the entire book's content as Tao Zongyi's own views.
Which categories should a first-time reader of Shuo Fu start with?
Start with categories related to your interests: if you like customs and names of things, begin with geographical records and miscellaneous investigations; if you like anecdotes of persons, begin with notes and miscellaneous discourses. Read short entries with clear threads first to develop a feel for the book's conventions, then gradually expand to unfamiliar categories; this is more effective than browsing aimlessly.
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About the author
Tao Zongyi
Author · Chinese · 1329–1412
Tao Zongyi (1329–c. 1412), courtesy name Jiucheng and style name Nancun, was a native of Huangyan, Taizhou (present-day Luqiao, Taizhou, Zhejiang) during the late Yuan and early Ming. A man of letters, historian, and calligrapher, he repeatedly declined official summons from both the Yuan and Ming courts and lived in seclusion in Songjiang, farming and teaching. Over ten years he gathered what he saw and heard into the thirty-juan Nancun Chuogeng Lu, a documentary record of late Yuan society that also covers institutions, customs, and crafts. His Shuofu anthologized notes and miscellaneous writings from earlier ages, preserving much otherwise lost material, while Shushi Huiyao collects the lives and views of calligraphers and remains a foundational source for calligraphy history. Other works include Nancun Shiji and Guke Congchao. His writing favors factual record and compilation, drawing on a wide range of sources with a cautious editorial hand; it has had a lasting influence on later note-collecting and local historical studies.
