Gazetteer of Jinzhou Prefecture cover

Gazetteer of Jinzhou Prefecture

Rating 3.0
Word count
76K words
Chapters
80

Tags

Summary

Jin County lies in the west of Shengjing Province (roughly covering present-day Jinzhou in full, most of Huludao and Panjin, and part of Chaoyang), i.e., present-day Jinzhou City, Liaoning.

Editor's review

The Jinzhou Prefectural Gazetteer is a collated edition of an old local gazetteer, compiled by Liu Yuanpu and Sun Cheng and published by Qunyan Press in 2024. Its value lies first in preserving history: Jin County sits in western Shengjing Province, roughly covering present-day Jinzhou in full, most of Huludao and Panjin, and part of Chaoyang; its records of mountains and rivers, cities, officials, taxes and corvée, notable persons, and customs provide foundational material for studying the historical geography and social change of western Liaoning. For researchers of local history, Northeast history, and historical geography, it is an indispensable primary source; for local-history enthusiasts, cultural workers, and those tracing genealogies or place-name origins in Jinzhou and surrounding areas, it is directly useful for reference. Readers should note the old gazetteer's format and classical wording; it is best used alongside modern place names and administrative divisions, starting with the table of contents and editorial principles, then searching by topic rather than reading straight through. As a collated edition, it suits desk reference and specialized research rather than casual reading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • University faculty and researchers in western Liaoning local history and Northeast history
  • Local gazetteer and cultural-history workers in Jinzhou, Huludao, Panjin, and nearby areas
  • Readers tracing family genealogies or the evolution of place names
  • Deeply interested enthusiasts of western Liaoning's history and culture

Not a good fit for

  • General leisure readers seeking light stories or popular history
  • Beginners without classical Chinese reading ability who are unwilling to consult reference works

Reading tips

  1. Read the table of contents, editorial principles, and preface first to understand the format and scope, then search by topic.
  2. Read alongside modern maps and administrative-division materials, noting differences between historical and current place names.
  3. Select sections such as officials, taxes and corvée, and notable persons according to research needs; do not read page by page.
  4. Look up unfamiliar official titles and place names in dictionaries as you go and take notes for later citation.

About the publisher

Qunyan Publishing House China · Founded in 1989

Founded in 1989, Qunyan Publishing House has long been committed to publishing academic and educational books for mid- and high-level readers, and has built up a certain presence in Eastern philosophy, classical literature, and classic works. Representative titles available in the database include Records of the Grand Historian, Dream of the Red Chamber, Selections of Refined Literature, Complete Song Ci, Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio, Record of Daily Knowledge, Taiping Huimin Hejiju Fang, and The Collected Works of Wang Yangming, covering common categories such as ancient poetry, medicine, and examinations. Its author resources include Sima Qian, Cao Xueqin, Xiao Tong, Li Shan, Pu Songling, and Gu Yanwu. The press also offers distinctive series such as the Biographical Series of the China Democratic League and the Historical Documents Series of the China Democratic League, and publishes research on historical documents, biographies, memoirs, and textbooks and academic works by League members. Public information is limited, and its overall publishing scale and complete catalogue require further verification.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 序
  3. ●目錄
  4. ●序
  5. ○錦州府志序
  6. ○河西志序
  7. ○序
  8. ●修志姓氏
  9. ●錦州府志圖
  10. ●輿地圖
  11. ●醫巫閭山圖
  12. ●府城圖
  13. ●府署圖
  14. ●廳署圖
  15. ●府學圖
  16. ●圖記
  17. ●錦州府志卷一
  18. ○星野
  19. ○沿革
  20. ○疆域
  21. ○形勢
  22. ○山川
  23. ○風俗
  24. ●錦州府志卷二
  25. ○名勝
  26. ○古蹟
  27. ●錦州府志卷三
  28. ○城池
  29. ○公署
  30. ○學校
  31. ●錦州府志卷四
  32. ○社甲
  33. ○驛鋪
  34. ○關梁
  35. ○坊表
  36. ○寺廟
  37. ○陵墓
  38. ○漏澤園
  39. ●錦州府志卷五
  40. ○地畝
  41. ○戶口
  42. ○糧稅
  43. ○徭役
  44. ○經費
  45. ○物產
  46. ●錦州府志卷六
  47. ○公式
  48. ○秩祀
  49. ○籩實
  50. ○豆實
  51. ○簠實
  52. ○簋實
  53. ○豋實
  54. ○鉶實
  55. ○賓興
  56. ●錦州府志卷七
  57. ○軍實
  58. ○邊防
  59. ●錦州府志卷八
  60. ○職官
  61. ○名宦
  62. ●錦州府志卷九
  63. ○薦辟
  64. ○科貢
  65. ○武階
  66. ○忠節
  67. ○孝義
  68. ○宦蹟
  69. ○學術
  70. ○隱逸
  71. ○列女
  72. ○流寓
  73. ●錦州府志卷十
  74. ○御製
  75. ○記
  76. ○序
  77. ○賦
  78. ○詩
  79. ●跋一
  80. ●跋

FAQ

Is this book suitable for readers with no classical Chinese background?
Not really. Old gazetteers are largely written in classical Chinese and differ greatly in format from modern books, so beginners may find them hard to get through. If needed, start with the preface and table of contents, consult reference works entry by entry, or read alongside modern local-history works to gradually adapt.
What present-day areas does the region covered in the book include?
According to the materials, Jin County lies in western Shengjing Province, roughly covering present-day Jinzhou in full, most of Huludao and Panjin, and part of Chaoyang—that is, the present-day Jinzhou area of Liaoning. The scope of specific entries still needs to be judged against the original gazetteer text and modern place names.
Can this book be used for genealogy or place-name research?
Yes, but methodically. Sections on notable persons, examination successes, officials, territories, and mountains and rivers often contain clues about families and place names. Identify the relevant sections first, then cross-check against genealogies and modern place-name gazetteers, being mindful of identical names for different places and changes in administrative divisions; do not draw conclusions from a single record.

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About the author

刘源溥 Author

Liu Yuanpu, about whom public information such as his life and nationality is limited, is known primarily for his work in compiling local gazetteers. Two works by him are held in the collection: Jinzhou Fu Zhi and the traditional-character edition of the same title, which are in fact different editions or title forms of a single gazetteer. The book belongs to the genre of local gazetteers and covers the administrative history, geography, customs, local products, notable figures, and literature of the Jinzhou area, making it an important source for the study of local history in Northeast China. Liu Yuanpu's writing follows the gazetteer format, emphasizing the compilation and arrangement of source materials in a plain style with little literary embellishment. Such works are usually classified as classics and historical reading, and are of reference value for understanding the social conditions of the Jinzhou region in the Qing period. Due to the loss of historical records, further details of his life remain to be discovered.

孙成修 Author

Sun Chengxiu is an author about whom little verifiable public information is available; details such as his place of origin, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. What is known is that a work titled Jinzhou Prefectural Gazetteer is attributed to him, and it is commonly classified as a historical reading. A prefectural gazetteer is a form of local history that typically records a region's administrative evolution, geography, cities and government offices, taxation and population, notable figures, and literature, making it an important source for studying regional history. Through this work, readers can learn about the local development and social conditions of the Jinzhou area. Owing to the lack of reliable records concerning the author's life and the circumstances in which the book was compiled, it is difficult to assess his writing style or scholarly influence with certainty; Jinzhou Prefectural Gazetteer is best regarded as a reference work of local historical documentation, and its compilation process and source value await further investigation.

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