In the Garden Magazine

Author: Liu Tingjing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: The Garden Journal in four volumes, written by Liu Tingjing during the Qing Dynasty. Liu Tingjing (c. 1654—? AD), styled Yuheng and styled Zaiyuan, was originally from Kaifeng, Henan, and later moved to Liaoyang, where he was registered into the Han military banner. His grandfather once served as the Governor of Fujian, and his father held positions such as prefect of Hebei and Anhui. Leveraging his ancestors' achievements, Tingjing entered official service early and followed the customary path, holding positions such as Inner Court Secretary, prefect of Jiaxing (now Lishui) in Zhejiang, and deputy inspector of Zhejiang. In his later years, he was transferred to river engineering and participated in the governance of the Yellow River and the Huai River. From a young age, he was deeply fond of poetry and prose, and with a distinguished family background and rich life experience, he had the opportunity to interact with and exchange knowledge with the leading literary figures of his time. His poetry collection Gezhuang Fenzheng Shixiao in fourteen volumes was prefaced by the renowned poet Wang Shizhen, while his prose collection The Garden Journal in four volumes was prefaced by the famous dramatist Kong Shangren. The personal endorsement of the prominent literary figures of his era as prefaces demonstrates his standing in the literary world at the time. Although Liu Tingjing's poetry is not widely circulated, his The Garden Journal stands out as a unique and exceptional work, rich in content, encompassing a wide range of topics, and highly informative, making it a rare masterpiece.