Song Pingjiang City Street Examination

Author: Wang Jian / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-08-01
Features: Wang Jian Pei Zhen (1888-1969) was a highly accomplished scholar. During his lifetime, he dedicated himself to the cultural and educational cause in Suzhou. In his early years, he served as a co-editor of the "Xuantong Wu County Gazetteer" (now known as the "Minren Wu County Gazetteer"), conducting extensive research and making significant contributions to its compilation and publication. His work "A Study of the City and Towns of Pingjiang in the Song Dynasty" is particularly acclaimed. After the liberation, Wang Jian taught at Shanghai Normal University, continuing his deep engagement in the study and verification of Suzhou's historical records alongside his teaching duties. Despite his advanced age and heavy workload, he never ceased his efforts. During the "Cultural Revolution," Wang Jian suffered persecution, and over ten thousand of his life's writings, as well as his collection of books, periodicals, calligraphy, paintings, inscriptions, and rubbings, were confiscated. This was not only a personal loss to him but also a great catastrophe for local literature and national culture. After the collapse of the "Gang of Four," guided by the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, order was restored, and industries flourished. The compilation of local chronicles was gradually carried out across the country, and Suzhou began to work on its own local chronicle. In the spring of 1984, Comrade Zhang Yinglin from our office went to the Shanghai Library to research materials. With the assistance of Director Yu Tinglong and the ancient books department, he was able to access some of Wang Jian's manuscripts that were about to be returned, including "A Brief Chronicle of Suzhou" and the "Corrections to the Wu County Gazetteer." He believed that if these valuable materials were properly organized and published, they would greatly benefit the inheritance and development of Suzhou's historical records. This proposal was immediately supported by Comrade Gu, who also agreed to contact Wang Jian's family. Soon after, through Comrade Gu's mediation, our office held discussions with members of Wang Jian's family, including Wang Dong'an, Wang Yun, Wang Yuanda, Wang Yunjia, Wang Zhenmin, and Jiang Kunhua. The family unanimously agreed to entrust our office with the organization and publication of the Suzhou-related portions of Wang Jian's manuscripts. Here, we specially prepare and publish the corrected version of Wang Jian's unfinished work, "A Study of the City and Towns of Pingjiang in the Song Dynasty," to fulfill his and in memory of him, as a tribute to the 2,500th anniversary of Suzhou's founding. Due to the urgency of the task and limited experience and expertise, any shortcomings in the organization and compilation process are sincerely hoped to be criticized and corrected by experts, scholars, and readers.
Suzhou Municipal Local Chronicles Compilation Committee Office
January 1, 1996