Rustic City Nostalgia Records A Brief Account of Yangzhou Customs

Author: Dong Yushu, Xu Qianfang
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-10-01
Features: Record of Nancheng Nostalgia is a specialized work that follows the main characters, recording the anecdotes and stories of Yangzhou from the middle period of the Qing Dynasty to the Republican era. The authors, aged and respected, have personally witnessed many of the events recorded in the book, making them largely credible and capable of supplementing the shortcomings of official history. Nancheng, a nickname for Yangzhou, originates from Bao Zhao's Ode to Nancheng in the Southern Dynasties. The book was written during the turbulent period of the Anti-Japanese War, when the nation faced destruction, family loss, and ethnic peril. Once a historically glorious Yangzhou had now fallen into a state of decline and desolation. The title Nancheng reflects the old man's sentiments. The book inherits the style of The Yangzhou River Boat Record, using characters as the thread to connect related anecdotes, thereby containing rich historical materials and can also be considered a supplement to The River Boat Record. The book not only records the heroic chapters of Shi Kefa's resistance against the Qing, but also includes many glorious deeds of loyal and righteous individuals, the achievements and styles of great scholars, the benevolent policies and legacies of virtuous officials, and the rare anecdotes of literary figures. It also features valuable materials such as the Biography of Zhou Gu, the Biography of Zheng Xuechuan, and the roster of members of the Yechun Post Society, all of which greatly benefit the study of Yangzhou's history and culture.