Sanfu Huangtu Xiaozhu

Author: Wei Quanrui
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: Qin's Xianyang and Han's Chang'an were renowned ancient capitals of China. Sanfu Huangtu is dedicated to the construction of Qin and Han capitals, with a focus on Chang'an. It meticulously details the layout of Chang'an City and its surroundings, including palaces, pavilions, gardens, ponds, terraces, granaries, bridges, cultural facilities, and ritual buildings, providing an exceptionally comprehensive account. It is a crucial historical document for studying ancient capitals, particularly ancient cities like Chang'an. Sanfu Huangtu, also known as Xijing Huangtu and abbreviated as Huangtu, does not specify the author's name. The initial version of the book was compiled during the late Han Dynasty, as indicated by Sun Xingyan's preface ("compiled by someone in the late Han Dynasty"), as well as by Miao Changyan's inscription ("compiled between the Han and Wei dynasties"), Chao Gongwu's "Records of Reading in the Prefectural Study" ("compiled between the Liang and Chen dynasties"), Song Liankui's preface ("compiled by someone in the late Han Dynasty"), and Chen Zhi's opinion ("the original book should have been completed in the late Han Dynasty, early Wei period"). Although these accounts differ, they all rely on the fact that Ru Chun, Jin Zhuo, and Liu Zhao, who annotated books, cited Sanfu Huangtu as a reference. This basis is indeed solid, as the three annotators' references to this book prove that it was already in existence during their time. Ru Chun was a person from the Wei Dynasty during the Three Kingdoms period and served as the Assistant County Administrator of Chen Prefecture in Wei. He frequently quoted Sanfu Huangtu in his annotations of the Book of Han, with at least four references still visible today. Liu Zhao was a person from the Southern Dynasties during the Southern Dynasties period and served as officials such as Fengchaoqing during the reign of Emperor Wu of Liang. His annotations of the Book of the Later Han on sacrifices and regions both cited Sanfu Huangtu, with two references still preserved, as seen in the supplements of this book. Based on the references of these annotators, Sanfu Huangtu's initial version should, as Chen Zhi suggested, have been compiled in the "late Han Dynasty, early Wei period." The claims about the Liang and Chen dynasties being too late to explain the objective existence of Sanfu Huangtu being cited by Ru Chun and Jin Zhuo are untenable.