Mar 18, 2026 © Ulrich Theobald
Xihu mengxun 西湖夢尋 "Dream pursuits of West Lake" is a geographical essay on West Lake 西湖 near Hangzhou 杭州, Zhejiang, written during the early Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Zhang Dai 張岱 (b. 1597), who also authored the essay collection Tao'an mengyi 陶庵夢憶.
After retreating to the mountains to escape political turmoil, Zhang reminisced about the former grandeur of West Lake in his youth. The work is divided into five sections: a general overview, and the northern, western, southern, central routes, and the surrounding scenery, with each section describing the landscape and including historical and cultural anecdotes.
The three prefaces by Wang Yuqian 王雨謙 (1599—1688), Li Changxiang 李長祥 (1612-1679), and Qi Zhijia 祁豸佳 (1595-1683?) illuminate different important aspects of the book, its realism, its imaginative and reflective quality, and its artistic elegance.
There are editions from the Kangxi 康熙 (1662-1722) and Guangxu 光緒 (1875-1908) reign-periods, and modern versions include the 1982 edition of the Shanghai Guji Chubanshe 上海古籍出版社 edition, which combines the Xihu mengxun with Zhang's Tao'an mengyi 陶庵夢憶.
Sources:
Chen Jie 陳潔. 2023. "Nongzhuang danmo zong xiangyi: Zhang Dai Xihu mengxun wenhua jiedu 濃妝淡抹總相宜——張岱《西湖夢尋》文化解讀." Zhongguo minzu bolan 中國民族博覽 2023 (1): 13-15.
Chen Zhijing 陳質晶. 2018. "Cong Xihu mengxun kan Zhang Dai Xihu qingjie de zhiqu he jiazhi 從《西湖夢尋》看張岱西湖情結的旨趣和價值." Changjiang Daxue xuebao (Shehui kexue ban) 長江大學學報（社會科學版） 41 (6): 61-64.
Gu Qin 顧勤. 2011. "Zhang Dai Xihu mengxun de wenhua jiedu 張岱《西湖夢尋》的文化解讀." Dali Xueyuan xuebao 大理學院學報 10 (7): 53-55.
Hu Ying 胡盈. 2019. "Zhang Dai zuopin zhong de yimin qingjie: Yi Tao'an mengyi, Xihu mengxun wei li 張岱作品中的遺民情結——以《陶庵夢憶》《西湖夢尋》爲例." Mingzuo xinshang 名作欣賞 2019 (23): 28-29.
Huang Hui 黃暉. 1997. "Fuduan shenyao moxi zhiyong: Lun Zhang Dai Tao'an mengyi, Xihu mengxun de yunwai zhi zhi 幅短神遙墨稀旨永——論張岱《陶庵夢憶》、《西湖夢尋》的韻外之致." Huaiyin Shizhuan xuebao 淮陰師專學報 1997 (4): 34-36.
Lin Fei 林非, ed. 1994. Zhongguo sanwen da cidian 中國散文大辭典, 298. Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe.
Lin Jingwen 林景文. 2020. "Cong Xihu mengxun kan Zhang Dai de qianchao jiyi 從《西湖夢尋》看張岱的前朝記憶." Qiqiha'er Shifan Gaodeng Zhuanke Xuexue xuebao 齊齊哈爾師範高等專科學校學報 2020 (4): 45-47.
Ni Wenyan 倪文燕. 2022. "Jiyi yu rentong: Zhang Dai Tao'an mengyi, Xihu mengxun de huiyixing shuxie 記憶與認同——張岱《陶庵夢憶》《西湖夢尋》的回憶性書寫.“ Sanmenxia Zhiye Jishu Xueyuan xuebao 三門峽職業技術學院學報 21 (2): 68-73.
Qu Shuiyuan 屈水源. 2018. "Lun Xihu mengxun de wenben tedian ji jiazhi: Yi yu Xihu youlan zhi de huwenxing guanxi wei zhongxin 論《西湖夢尋》的文本特點及價值——以與《西湖遊覽志》的互文性關系爲中心." Anhui Nongye Daxue xuebao (Shehui kexue ban) 安徽農業大學學報（社會科學版） 27 (5): 84-88.
Shen Zheshou 沈者壽, ed. 1993. Hangzhou cidian 杭州辭典, 436. Hangzhou: Zhejiang renmin chubanshe.
Wang Baoshuang 王保雙. 2012. "Mengjing zhong shengcun: QIanxi Zhang Dai de Tao'an mengyi he Xihu mengxun 夢境中生存——淺析張岱的《陶庵夢憶》和《西湖夢尋》." Mingzuo xinshang 名作欣賞 2012 (6): 101-102.
Wang Lixin 王麗欣. 2023. "Cong Xihu mengxun de dute shuxie kan Zhang Dai de yidai zhi gan 從《西湖夢尋》的獨特書寫看張岱的易代之感." Sichuan Zhiye Jishu Xueyuan xuebao 四川職業技術學院學報 33 (6): 101-105.
Wang Qian 王倩. 2017. "Xihu mengxun de lishi dili jiazhi tanxi 《西湖夢尋》的歷史地理價值探析." Jiangnan luntan 江南論壇 2017 (10): 35-37.
Wu Feng 吳楓, ed. 1994. Zhonghua gu wenxian da cidian 中華古文獻大辭典, vol. Wenxue 文學卷, 211. Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe.
Xia Xianchun 夏咸淳. 2000. "Lun Zhang Dai ji qi Tao'an mengqi, Xihu mengxun 論張岱及其《陶庵夢憶》《西湖夢尋》." Tianfu xinlun 天府新論 2000 (2): 68-73.
Xiang Juan 項娟. 2018. "Lun Zhang Dai sanwen de shenmei tezhi: Yi Tao'an mengyi, Xihu mengxun wei li 論張岱散文的審美特質——以《陶庵夢憶》《西湖夢尋》爲例.“ Keji shijie 科技視界 2018 (23): 224-226.
Yang Sijiong 楊思炯. 2018. "Xihu mengxun: Yi bu bei yiwang de fangzhi 《西湖夢尋》——一部被“遺忘”的方誌." Zhejiang Daxue xuebao (Renwen shehui kexue ban) 浙江大學學報（人文社會科學版） 48 (3): 132.
Zhang Yuyin 張譽尹. 2020. "Shilun Zhang Dai de ziran shenmeiguan ji qi chengyin: Yi Tao'an mengyi, Xihu mengxun wei li 試論張岱的自然審美觀及其成因——以《陶庵夢憶》《西湖夢尋》爲例." Mingzuo xinshang 名作欣賞 2020 (14): 89-92.
