Complete Notes on the Song Dynasty - (Second Edition) (Part 2)

Author: Zhu Yian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Song Dynasty notes are an important part of Song Dynasty literature, with a vast number of them. Complete Notes of the Song Dynasty is the third large-scale comprehensive collection in the field of Song Dynasty literature and history after Complete Poems of the Song Dynasty and Complete Prose of the Song Dynasty. It is a systematically compiled and comprehensive collection of Song Dynasty notes. Each volume is accompanied by an academically valuable preface written by the compiler, including a brief biography of the author, the process of compilation, evaluation of content, version information and sources, the base text used, and an overview of the collation. The entire book is printed in traditional characters in vertical columns with modern punctuation marks, making it an extremely valuable historical source. The book is presented in a new, exquisite packaging, making it an excellent gift and collectible, truly precious. The entire book is divided into approximately ten sections, and this book is the first part of the second section. Overall, Complete Notes of the Song Dynasty, Second Series, has the following characteristics:
First, based on a scientific definition of the term "notes," the book strives to collect as many notes written by Song Dynasty authors as possible, truly reflecting the "comprehensiveness" of Complete Notes of the Song Dynasty, avoiding omissions and disorganization. The compilers adhere to the principle that "notes are records of events rather than deliberately composed works." They limit the collection to "specialized collections of notes by Song Dynasty authors" and exclude "scattered individual notes that have not been compiled into a collection," as well as "specialized collections with a focused theme and rigid structure," such as "poetry discussions, recorded sayings, and specialized works like The Tea Classic, Painting Spectra, Records of Prominent Officials, and Official Precepts." Of course, they also exclude novels and biographies that narrate stories in detail.
Second, most of the Song Dynasty notes in this book are presented to the public for the first time after being collated and punctuated, reflecting the "newness" of the collection. Among the 49 notes in this series, 13 have already been collated and published by Zhonghua Book Company and Shanghai, while 36 have been newly collated and published, accounting for over 73% of the total. These newly collated notes, though some may not be long, contain valuable historical material related to the social economy, politics, and customs of the time, leaving behind a wealth of resources for future generations, truly precious.
Third, compared to previously collated and published Song Dynasty notes, this book is relatively "accurate" in its collation. The compilers of this book are mostly outstanding scholars in the fields of ancient Chinese history and literature, particularly in Tang and Song Dynasty literature and history. Although they dare not claim them to be the best in the world, they can be considered first-class. This book includes the Song Dynasty note High Talks in the Azure Lattice, introducing the author's life, the process of compilation, the evaluation of content, the version information and sources, the base text used, and an overview of the collation.