Xijing zaji 西京雜記

Xijing zaji 西京雜記 "Miscellaneous records of the Western Capital" is a collection of short semi-historiographical stories from the court of the Former Han dynasty 前漢 (206 BCE-8 CE). At that time, the capital was Chang'an 長安 in the west (the "Western Capital", modern Xi'an 西安, Shaanxi), whereas the Later Han dynasty 後漢 (25-220 CE) moved to Luoyang 洛陽 (modern Luoyang, Henan) further to the east. The compiler of the book is not known.

The imperial bibliography in the official dynastic history Jiutangshu 舊唐書 names the Jin-period 晉 (265-420) writer Ge Hong 葛洪 (283-343) as the author. Other sources, like Chao Gongwu's 晁公武 (c. 1105-1180) private bibliography Junzhai dushu zhi 郡齋讀書志 from the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279), wrongly attributes the book to the Liang-period 梁 (502-557) scholar Wu Jun 吳均 (469-520). The bibliography Jingjizhi 經籍志 in the dynastic history Suishu 隋書 speaks of a length of 2 juan, while other books talk of 1 or even 6 juan.

According to the postface (xu 序), which was allegedly written by Ge Hong, the sources for the Xijing zaji came from Liu Xin's 劉歆 (c. 50 BCE-23 CE) collection of historiographical material that was also used for the compilation of the dynastic history Hanshu 漢書, but was not included literally in the history because of its rather novelistic content. The transmitted version of the Xijing zaji is a collection of material not used in the Hanshu. It is, therefore, traditionally classified as a collection of novellas (xiaoshuo 小說), and not as a historiographical book.

The Xijing zaji includes 129 stories, all of whichtook place in the capital, Chang'an. Although most of the stories are of historiographical content, some belong to the genre of supernatural fiction (zhiguai 志怪). Some stories have become very popular and have found their way into higher forms of literature, such as poetry and theatre. Among those are the story of princess Wang Zhaojun 王昭君 (51-15 BCE) sent out to marry the Xiongnu khan; the love of the poetess Zhuo Wenjun 卓文君 (175-121 BCE) to Sima Xiangru 司馬相如 (179-117 BCE); how Kuang Heng 匡衡 made a hole in the wall to let in light for reading books; how Sima Qian 司馬遷 (145-c. 86 BCE), unjustly punished by castration, decided to compile his universal history Shiji; how the philosopher Dong Zhongshu 董仲舒 (179-104 BCE) explained the phenomena of frost, hail and snow as results of the effect of the cosmic forces Yin and Yang; the licentious behaviour of the sisters and imperial consorts Zhao Feiyan 趙飛燕 (32-1 BCE) and Zhao Hede 趙合德; Jia Peilan's 賈佩蘭 intimate friendship with her mistress, Lady Qi 戚夫人 (d. 194 BCE); or the story of Qiu Hu 秋胡, who disguised himself as a women in order to escape military service. TThe tales of palace life contain a wealth of information about the buildings of the Forbidden City, the adornments and clothing of the men and women living within it, as well as their customs and habits.

The Xijing zaji is often quoted in Li Shan's 李善 (630-689) commentary on the literary anthology Wenxuan 文選, as well as in the Tang-period 唐 (618-907) encyclopaedia Chuxueji 初學記, which shows that the book was widely known in earlier ages.

The language is vivid and colourful, but very simple and elegant.

The Xijing zaji is included in the series Sibu congkan 四部叢刊, where a Ming-period 明 (1368-1644) print is reproduced, Gujin yishi 古今逸史, Han-Wei congshu 漢魏叢書, Zengding Han-Wei congshu 增訂漢魏叢書, Baihai 稗海, Kuaige cangshu 快閣藏書, Jindai mishu 津逮秘書, Xuejin taoyuan 學津討源, Longwei mishu 龍威秘書, Yiyuan junhua 藝苑捃華, Siku quanshu 四庫全書 (all with the 6-juan version), in Guo Zizhang's 郭子章 (1543-1618) Qin-Han tuji 秦漢圖記 (together with the book Sanfu huangtu 三輔黃圖), and the series Baojingtang congshu 抱經堂叢書, Zhengjuelou congkan 正覺樓叢刻 and Longxi jingshe congshu 龍溪精舍叢書 (the last three with the 2 juan version). The Zhonghua Shuju Press 中華書局 published a modern version in 1985 (with a commentary compiled by Cheng Yizhong 程毅中), and in 1991, the Shanghai Guji Press 上海古籍出版社 published a commented edition.