Yue Man Tang Diary

Author: Li Cimeng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-05-01
Features: Li Cimeng (1829–1894) was a renowned historian and literary scholar of the late Qing Dynasty, known by the courtesy name Chenke and the sobriquet Yue Manlaoren. He was a highly esteemed scholar during the Tongguang era of the late Qing, hailed by later generations as the "Guardian of Old Literature." Despite his struggles in officialdom and a life marked by hardship, he remained a man of high moral integrity and unorthodox demeanor, earning the nickname "a man of fierce independence and a sharp tongue." Yet, he devoted his life to relentless study, achieving profound expertise in poetry, textual research, and classical studies, gaining widespread acclaim.
The Diary of Yue Man Tang was the culmination of Li Cimeng's four decades of effort, meticulously compiled over time. The diary comprises nine parts: Diary of Jiaji Year, Yue Man Tang Diary (Yi to Ren Series), Diary of Meng Xue Zhai, Diary of Shou Li Lu, Diary of Xiang Qin Shi, Diary of Xi Cha An, Diary of Taohua Shengjie An, Diary of Xun Xue Zhai, and Post-Series Diary of Xun Xue Zhai. Spanning millions of words, it not only records the political and social observations, friendships and partings, character critiques, antiquities research, calligraphy and painting appraisals, travels through mountains and rivers, and customs of various regions from the Xianfeng to Guangxu eras but also preserves his extensive notes on reading, "roughly following the style of the Tribute to the Four Treasuries Catalogue but even more detailed," making it of immense academic value.
Thus, the diary can also be regarded as the pinnacle of Li Cimeng's scholarly pursuits and is celebrated as the foremost of the "Four Great Diaries of the Late Qing" (the other three being Diary of Yuan Du Lu, Diary of Xiang Qi Lou, and Diary of Weng Tonghe). After its photolithographic publication in the 1920s and 1930s, it became immensely popular both domestically and among scholars, sparking intense competition to read it. It has been highly regarded by scholars of the time and later generations, with renowned figures such as Lu Xun, Hu Shi, Huang Chang, and Sun Li all writing about it.