Guitian suoji 歸田瑣記

Guitian suoji 歸田瑣記 "Miscellaneous notes on returning to the fields" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) compiled during the high Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Liang Zhangju 梁章鉅 (1775–1849), courtesy name Hongzhong 閎中 or Chenlin 茞林. He was a native of Changle 長樂, Fujian. He passed the metropolitan examinations during the Jiaqing reign-period 嘉慶 (1796-1820) and rose to the office of Governor of Jiangsu, where he governed with sound method and principle. His works include Jingchen 經塵, Xia Xiaozheng tongshi 夏小正通釋, Lunyu Mengzi Sanguozhi pangzheng 論語孟子三國志旁證, Chengweilu 稱謂錄, Jinshi shuhua tiba 金石書畫題跋 and Langji congtan 浪跡叢談.

This book of eight juan was composed after the author retired from office and returned to Pucheng 浦城. Modelled on Ouyang Xiu's 歐陽修 (1007-1072) Guitianlu 歸田錄, it was accordingly given the title Guitian suoji. The work was completed in 1842. It includes a total of one hundred and ten entries, which, together with the author's diary and poetry written at the Beidong Garden 北東園 in Pucheng. The content of the book is wide-ranging but comparatively thorough, encompassing court affairs of former times, the remarks and witticisms of scholar-officials, notes on material culture and nomenclature, poetry and prose, and more. The passages dealing with the downfall of Nian Gengyao 年羹堯 (1679-1726) and Hešen (Ch. Heshen 和坤, 1750-1799), and with Chen Menglei 陳夢雷 (1650-1741) and the compilation of the encyclopaedia Gujin tushu jicheng 古今圖書集成, are of some reference value for the study of historical events and anecdotes.

As for the miscellaneous accounts of various individuals' private stories, and the discussions of wharves, river mouths, coin minting, prohibitions against delayed burials, prohibitions against extravagant funerary garments, and various seasonal observances — these not only serve to broaden one's knowledge and experience, but also hold a degree of reference value for understanding the politics and economy of the period.

The scope of the book is broader than that of Ouyang's Guitianlu, encompassing descriptions of the gardens of Yangzhou 揚州, lanes and neighborhoods, plants, insects, and fish, "verified prescriptions" from both internal and external medicine, letters and correspondence, family history, the minutiae of daily life, rubbings of steles and model calligraphy, woodblock printing, institutional regulations and statutes, notable figures past and present, the civil examination system, social acquaintances, reading and scholarly discourse, poetry and couplets, fiction, food and drink, and also accounts on riddles.

Extant editions include the Beidong Garden 北東園 woodblock edition of 1845, the Tongwentang 同文堂 woodblock edition of 1852, the Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局 edition of 1981 in the series Qingdai shiliao biji congkan 清代史料筆記叢刊 and the series Biji xiaoshuo daguan 筆記小說大觀 edition.