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Xiyuan wenjian lu 西園聞見錄 "Report on things heard and seen from the Xiyuan Studio" is a privately written history of the early Ming period 明 (1368-1644). It was written by Zhang Xuan 張萱 (1558-1641), courtesy name Mengqi 孟奇, style Jiuyue 九嶽 or Xiyuan 西園, from Boluo 博羅, Guangdong. He was a famous poet and calligrapher and also wrote a book called Xiyuan shiyu 西園史餘. His collected writings are called Xiyuan quanji 西園全集. His Xiyuan wenjian lu was finished in the 1620s.
In 107 juan, divided into three parts, Zhang recounts the history of the Ming dynasty from its founding in 1368 until the end of the Wanli reign period 萬曆 (1573-1619). In the first part (Neipian 內篇 "Inner chapters"), Zhang provides numerous examples of government conduct. The second part (Waipian 外篇 "Outer chapters") offers an impression of practical politics. It is organised according to the rank of officials. The third part (Zapian 雜篇 "Miscellaneous chapters") provides an overview of supernatural appearances and phenomena, as is traditionally included in Chinese histories.
The main source of Zhang Yuan was the Capital gazetteer or Peking gazette (dibao 邸報). A very significant part of his book deals with military aspects, especially the establishment of the Jurchen empire in the northeast, out of which the Manchu empire emerged.
A first print from the Chongzhen reign-period 崇禎 (1628-1644) is lost. In 1940, the Harvard Yenching Institute (Hafo Yanjing Xueshe 哈佛燕京學社) printed the book, based on a manuscript from Master Chen's 陳氏 Jujing Studio 居敬堂 and a manuscript from the Guangxu reign-era 光緒 (1875-1908) which was in the hand of the Li family 李氏 from Shunde 順德. This edition was reprinted in 1984 by the Hangzhou Gujiu Shudian Press 杭州古舊書店.