Collected Works of Gu Yanwu

Zhang Peiheng (1934–2011), a native of Shaoxing, Zhejiang, was an outstanding professor at Fudan University and a renowned historian of literature and expert in the collation of ancient texts. He graduated from the Department of Chinese Language and Literature at Fudan University in 1954 and stayed on to teach, later serving as head of the department, director of the Research Center for Ancient Chinese Literature, and director of the Institute of Ancient Books. He devoted himself to the study of ancient Chinese literature while also working on modern literature, co-edited A History of Chinese Literature and A New History of Chinese Literature with Luo Yuming, and wrote such works as A Chronological Biography of Hong Sheng and Collected Doubts. His works include annotated collections of Su Shi, Xin Qiji, Wang Wei, Li Bai, Lu You, and Wang Anshi, as well as reference works such as the Dictionary of Chinese Literature and the Comprehensive Dictionary of Chinese Literature, History, and Philosophy, spanning ancient poetry, literary appreciation, and biography. He exerted a profound influence on the study of literary history and the collation of ancient texts.

Ma Zhanggen is an author about whom limited public information is available; details such as his place of origin, dates of birth and death, and educational background are not clearly recorded. Judging from the twenty-nine works held in the collection, his work centers mainly on classical poetry and literary appreciation, with additional titles in biography and miscellaneous prose. His representative works include Collected Works of Su Shi, Collected Works of Wang Wei, Collected Works of Xin Qiji, Collected Works of Li Bai, Collected Works of Li Qingzhao, Collected Works of Lu You, Collected Works of Wang Anshi, and Collected Works of Han Yu, most of which revolve around major Tang and Song poets and their writings. Publications of this kind usually combine selected texts, annotations, and commentary, making classical poetry more accessible to general readers. Overall, Ma Zhanggen focuses on organizing and popularizing classical literature; his works are intended for a broad readership and hold some significance for the transmission of traditional culture.

Li Yonghu is an author about whom little biographical information is publicly available; his nationality, dates of birth and death, and detailed life experiences are not recorded. What can be confirmed is that two works appear under his name: The Collected Works of Gu Yanwu and The Xinmin Gongan. Judging from their subjects and their common classification, his interests cover two fields: classical poetry and folk literature. The Collected Works of Gu Yanwu points to the compilation of writings by the Ming-Qing scholar Gu Yanwu, falling within the editing of classical prose, poetry, and scholarly texts; The Xinmin Gongan belongs to the gongan (court-case) genre and carries a distinct flavor of popular narrative. One refined and one popular, the two works show that the author engaged with both literati classics and vernacular stories. Although the available information is insufficient to sketch a complete profile, these two works offer readers useful editions for understanding classical poetry and prose as well as folk court-case literature.