Wumen Biao Yin

Author: Gu Zhen (Qing Dynasty) / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-08-01
Features: Suzhou is a historically rich cultural ancient city. Since its founding by King Helü of Wu in 514 BC, it has now stood for over 2,500 years. Throughout the ages, records of the city's rise and fall have been documented, accumulating a wealth of local historical materials. According to incomplete statistics, there are over 180 types of prefectural and county chronicles in the Suzhou region, totaling more than 1,000 volumes, while smaller township chronicles and specialized records on mountains, waters, gardens, pavilions, temples, and shrines are even more numerous. Unfortunately, due to limited print runs in the past and the trials of time, preserving these chronicles has been difficult, and many have become rare, making them hard to access. To meet the needs of the Four Modernizations and fully leverage the role of local chronicles in preserving history, providing governance insights, and promoting education, we have specially marked and reprinted famous Suzhou chronicles in batches, as directed by the China Local Chronicles Guidance Group. This is to serve as a reference for various fields of work and research.
Jiemen Biyin (Twenty Volumes with an Appendix) was compiled by Gu Zhen of the Qing Dynasty and published in 1834 (the 14th year of the Daoguang reign). The title Jiemen Biyin—what does it mean? The preface of the book explains: "This book only records the three counties within its jurisdiction and includes matters not covered in existing chronicles. Occasionally, it repeats and clarifies details even found in the chronicles but not clearly explained, hence the name Jiemen Biyin." In other words, this book is a supplement to Suzhou's local chronicles.