Liu Nan Notes: Continuation

Author: Wang Yingkui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1997-12-01
Features: Six Volumes of Liu Nan Notes and Four Volumes of Continuation, written by Wang Yingkui of the Qing Dynasty. Yingkui styled Dongxu and styled himself Liu Nan, a native of Changshu County, Jiangsu. He was born around the time of the 22nd year of the Kangxi reign (), and was nearly eighty years old. Wang Yingkui was renowned for his poetry in his youth, and later generations praised him as "possessing a broad and comprehensive understanding of classical literature, with richness and elegance. His poetry was even higher in quality, avoiding clichés and imitations." However, he attempted the imperial examinations eight times but never passed. He retired to live in the mountains, "with a pile of books reaching his shoulders, and burying himself in them." In addition to Liu Nan Notes and Continuation, his works include Liu Nan Poems and Prose and Sehu Poetic Garden in eighteen volumes. Liu Nan Notes and Continuation imitate the style of Hong Mai's Rongzhan Notes from the Song Dynasty. The content can largely be divided into two categories: one is the notes he took from his studies, recorded as he went along. He gathered knowledge from all fields, including classics, history, philosophy, poetry, ci, painting, and textual phonology. He explored the origins of poetry, investigated the roots of famous objects, corrected historical errors, and provided many clues for the study of literature and history. The other is his observations and experiences. Wang Yingkui was widely knowledgeable and enjoyed visiting historical sites and collecting anecdotes. A significant portion of his books records the stories and anecdotes of scholars and literati, social customs, and local customs. Wang Yingkui revered Wang Shifu but did not hesitate to point out his mistakes in his works. He also commented on famous figures such as Zhao Zhixin, Feng Ban, and Qian Qianyi. Additionally, his works touch on historical events related to the Fushu Society, Tongsheng Society, Ying Society, and Donglin Party, as well as the libraries of Donghu Academy, Wanjuan Pavilion, Jingyun Pavilion, Jigu Pavilion, and Shugu Hall. These historical records are of great reference value. However, due to some errors in Notes, Continuation corrected these mistakes, resulting in some repetition between the two works.