"Western Waterways Chronicle, Including Two External Types: A Collection of Historical Records of Sino-foreign Transportation"

Author: Xu Song (Qing Dynasty)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-07-01
Features: Records of Waterways in the Western Regions (with two additional works) by Xu Song, a renowned scholar of the Qing Dynasty, is a seminal work on the history and geography of the Western Regions. The "two additional works" are Supplementary Notes to the Western Regions Chapter of the Book of Han and Ode to Xinjiang. The three works vary in style but share the same subject and are organically connected. Since their publication, they have been widely known as Three Works of the Great Xu Family, Three Works of the Western Regions, and Three Works Written by Mr. Xu Xingbo. Records of Waterways in the Western Regions documents detailed geographical information about the sources, basins, and lakes of various rivers in the Western Regions. Its scope covers a vast area from west of Jiayuguan to the east and south of Balkhash Lake in the modern Northwest. Following the style of Annotations to the Waterways of the Nation, Xu Song added his own annotations, meticulously recording the conditions of each river while also providing in-depth research on the evolution of administrative divisions, institutional systems, factories, pastures, frontier posts, military stations, famous scenic spots, historical facts, and ethnic changes within the basins. From an academic perspective, the work has three notable characteristics: 1. Emphasis on field investigations and surveys. Xu Song traveled extensively across the northern and southern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, meticulously documenting and mapping his findings. Each hydrological system in the book is accompanied by detailed survey maps. 2. Creatively classifying the waterways of the Western Regions into 11 systems based on the principle that inland rivers flow into lakes. 3. Fully incorporating the advanced Western projection and surveying techniques to obtain the geographical coordinates of the Western Regions. Additionally, as an academic work with significant practical value, Records of Waterways in the Western Regions features concise yet vivid and elegant prose. Many passages can even be read as travelogues. Simultaneously with Records of Waterways in the Western Regions, Xu Song compiled Supplementary Notes to the Western Regions Chapter of the Book of Han. He verified the evolution of ancient place names, using modern knowledge to confirm historical records. This complements the focus of Records of Waterways in the Western Regions on contemporary geography, with the two works often cross-referencing each other with the note "mutually referenced," revealing the author's meticulous craftsmanship. Ode to Xinjiang is a literary work that narrates the achievements of pacifying the Western Regions and expanding territory since the reign of Emperor Qianlong, while also providing a concise description of the mountains and rivers in the northern and southern routes of Xinjiang. Records of Waterways in the Western Regions (with two additional works) is compiled and edited based on Xu Song's original drafts and revised versions, integrating his annotations and revisions according to established conventions. With this volume, readers can appreciate the complete form of this masterpiece by the Xu family and gain insights into the author's methods and processes of scholarship through the traces of his revisions.