Newly Compiled Miscellaneous Records of Ancient Spring Wind Building -- Volume Three

Author: Gao Baishi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-12-01
Features: This book is rich in content, consisting of notes on the lives and whereabouts of famous figures during the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China, providing ample material for readers who enjoy discussing anecdotes. The book covers a wide range of personalities, from court officials to scholars, cultural figures, and celebrities in various fields, with hundreds of anecdotes. It serves as a reference for historians and offers intriguing stories for the curious. Generally, official documents present a facade of grand but hollow words when judging people and times, so readers must also see the underlying conflicts of material interests and the intricate struggles of personal rivalries. This is where the value of the notes lies. Gufengfenglou Zojì (Notes from the Gufengfeng Tower) is the work of Gao Baishi, a pioneer in the press on both sides of the Taiwan Strait. The original text was serialized in the Xinsheng Daily Supplement in Taiwan for over a decade, later compiled into two volumes and published, leaving a lasting and significant impact. The entire work spans three million words, depicting over 500 diverse figures from the late Qing Dynasty to the early Republic, filled with little-known historical anecdotes and invaluable primary sources. In terms of characters: there are laborers, outlaws, gentlewomen, nobles, officials, and righteous martyrs; in terms of events: some are romantic, some heroic, some loyal, some bizarre, some amusing, reading them evokes love, hatred, pity, sorrow, enlightenment, or even passion that makes one willing to risk everything. Gao’s writing style is bold and unrestrained, profound and effortless; the poetry, lyrics, couplets, and odes he cites are also excellent. The literary and aesthetic quality of the entire work is very high. Gao’s attitude toward history is rigorous, with strict praise and criticism. The tumultuous national, family, and global affairs of the past century are all encompassed in these Zojì, absolutely worth your careful reading. The Taiwan edition of the book is newly compiled into thirty-two volumes in traditional characters, while the mainland edition plans to combine it into sixteen volumes in simplified characters, to be published in two installments.