Shiji: Illustrated Text

Author: Sima Qian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-07-01
Features: The Records of the Grand Historian is hailed as "the peerless song of historians, an unrhymed Li Sao," and has been passed down for over two thousand years. The Chinese nation has long had a tradition of compiling and writing books, from the legendary ancient texts San Fen, Wu Dian, Ba Suo, and Jiu Qiu, to the current "visual era," all of which demonstrate China's rich book tradition. Yet, when looking at the domestic book market, it's hard to find a complete illustrated edition of The Records of the Grand Historian—a true pity. This illustrated (treasured edition) of The Records of the Grand Historian aims to fill this gap and verify history through visuals. The book uses images to complement the text, adhering to the principle of "better to be without than with less than perfect." In selecting images, the goal is to ensure they directly relate to the historical facts being described, thereby authenticating the original state of history, or indirectly illustrate the facts, reflecting the historical context. The images primarily include ancient ruins, tombs, related ancient artifacts, and Han Dynasty relief sculptures, all chosen to convey historical value and bear witness to the past, allowing readers to gain a more intuitive understanding of the history of the pre-Qin and Qin-Han periods.