Dec 8, 2025 © Ulrich Theobald
Yuanhuaji 原化記 "Records of original transformations" was a story collection compiled during the Tang period 唐 (618-907) by a certain master Huangfu 皇甫氏.
The bibliographical chapter Yiwen lüe 藝文略 in the history book Tongzhi 通志 lists it as a 1-juan-long book. The encyclopaedical story collection Taiping guangji 太平廣記 gathers over 60 fragments of the Yuanhuaji. Some quotations are also found in the books Leishuo 類說 and Ganzhuji 紺珠集.
Most of the book's content comprises stories that are strange, rich in legendary flavour, with twisty, original plots that are pretty engaging. However, the content is somewhat simple, and the literary style is comparatively plain.
Sources:
An Yihan 安憶涵. 2016. "Soushen houji dao Yuanhuaji zhong baishui sunü gushi yanbian 《搜神後記》到《原化記》中“白水素女”故事演變." Mingzuo xinshang 名作欣賞 2016 (14): 174-176.
Cheng Youqing 程有慶. 2003. "Yuanhuaji 原化記." In Tangdai wenxue baike cidian 唐代文學百科辭典, edited by Bian Xiaoxuan 卞孝萱, 640. Beijing: Hanyu da cidian chubanshe.
Lau, Yin Ping 劉燕萍. 2015. "Luoshen, renwu hun yu nan: Lun Tang Yuanhuaji Wu kan 螺神、任務婚與難 — 論（唐）《原化記》〈吳堪〉 / Spiral Shell Goddess, Errand to Marry and Plunder Type of Marriage with Arduous Problems: Discussion of Wu Kan in Yuanhua ji." Journal of Oriental Studies 48 (1): 21–48.
Shi Lin 石麟. 2003. "Lun Huangfu shi Yuanhuaji zhong de chuanqi zhi zuo 論皇甫氏《原化記》中的傳奇之作." Jingzhou Shifan Xueyuan xuebao 荆州師範學院學報 2003 (1): 49-53.
Zheng Yunbo 鄭雲波, ed. 1992. Zhongguo gudai xiaoshuo cidian 中國古代小說辭典, 46. Nanjing: Nanjing daxue chubanshe.
