Wu Zhu's Record of Visiting Ancient Places

Author: Yao Chengxu / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1999-08-01
Features: The ancients said that compiling county and prefecture annals should possess the three strengths of historiography, and also that the "Fifteen Odes of the States" served as the foundation for county and prefecture annals. Therefore, Ban Gu's "Records of Geography" did not quote from the "Odes of the States." Later scholars, when visiting mountains and rivers and paying homage to ancient sites, must combine historical and poetic talents to verify and cross-reference, expressing their insights fully. This is why my friend Yao Jun's "Wuzhu Visits to Ancient Sites" is highly regarded. Wuzhu, renowned in Shu's time, was indeed a major metropolis in Southeast China, and the east of Lou River was once under its jurisdiction. Beyond county and prefecture annals, works such as "Records of Wu," "Chronicles of Central Wu," "Old Tales of Wu," and "Chronicles of Pingjiang" were written by renowned scholars of each generation, with detailed accounts of ancient sites and occasional anecdotes. Jun compiled and organized these, embedding them in ballads. In the future, historians will certainly not disregard such accounts. By linking places with people and people with places, he demonstrates an understanding of the times and a profound insight into the past, achieving more than just praising those who excel in poetry and prose. I believe this collection is worthy of supplementing the local records and aligns with what I previously mentioned, so I reluctantly took up the task of writing the preface. However, with my declining scholarly pursuits and weariness from traveling, I could not assist in citing sources, which only deepens my regret. Written in the third month of the ninth year of Daoguang's reign (1839), by Cheng Tinglu.