Ruyuan Conghua (Volume 1 and 2)

Author: Qian Yong (Qing Dynasty), edited and annotated by Zhang Wei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-12-01
Features: Ancient Chinese note-taking works originated in the Six Dynasties, developed through the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, and reached their peak in the Qing Dynasty. The content of Qing Dynasty notes covered politics, economy, culture, social life, and other aspects, including regulations and institutions, astronomy and geography, cultural relics and classics, inscriptions and calligraphy, poems and ci, anecdotes of figures, strange social phenomena, and local customs and folk traditions. It can be said that the number of Qing Dynasty note-taking works and the breadth of their coverage surpassed previous dynasties. Qian Yong's "Luyuan Conghua" is one of the more valuable note-taking works from the Qing Dynasty. "Luyuan Conghua" consists of twenty-four volumes, with each volume generally dedicated to a single topic, including Old News, Ancient Views, Research, Water Studies, Veneration of Virtuous Officials, Elders, Personal Opinions, Poetry Discussions, Inscriptions and Rubbings, Collecting, Calligraphy and Painting, Arts and Crafts, Academic Success, Omens and Strange Events, Ghosts and Demons, Monstrous Beings, Retribution, Ancient Sites, Tombs, Gardens, Jokes, Dreams, and Miscellaneous Records. Each volume focuses on a specific theme. The content is extensive and diverse, with most entries based on the author's personal experiences. Even if information is obtained through hearsay, the source is clearly identified, making it highly valuable for reference.
"Luyuan Conghua" has only one published edition from the Shude Tang in the 18th year of the Daoguang reign. During this, in addition to punctuation and paragraphing, some printing errors were corrected. In the process of, we found a few suspicious texts, either due to printing errors or the author's oversight. We made every effort to verify relevant materials for correction. For some entries that could not be traced, we had to retain them as originally written.