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Beihulu 北戶錄

Oct 23, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Beihulu 北戶錄 "Records of the Northern Seats" is a description of plants, animals and local customs of southern China (the region of Lingnan 嶺南) written by Duan Gonglu 段公路 xxx during the Tang period 唐 (618-907). Cui Gui 崔龜 added illustrations and comments.

The term "Beihu" is an abbreviation of the place name Beixianghu 北嚮戶 "places of northern echoes", a collective designation of five mountains in the area of the provinces of Hunan, Jiangxi, Guilin and Guangdong. The book Beihulu is 3-juan long and was finished in 871. The Beihulu is not only descriptive but Duan Gonglu also quotes older sources. He informs about more than 20 different plants and more than 20 animals which were typical of the region and not to be found in other places of China, like the rhinozeros, or lychees.

The Beihulu is included in many series, both printed and in manuscript form.

Sources:
Gao Wende 高文德, ed. (1995). Zhongguo shaoshu minzu shi da cidian 中國少數民族史大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin jiaoyu chubanshe), 530.
Li Ganfen 李干芬 (1993). "Beihulu 北戶錄", in Zhuangzu baike cidian bianzuan weiyuanhui 《壯族百科辭典》編纂委員會, ed. Zhuangzu baike cidian 壯族百科辭典 (Nanning: Guangxi renmin chubanshe), 113.
Lin Zixiong 林子雄 (2006). "Beihulu 北戶錄", in Lingnan wenhua baike quanshu bianji weiyuanhui 《嶺南文化百科全書》編輯委員會, ed. Lingnan wenhua baike quanshu 嶺南文化百科全書 (Beijing: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), 820.
Liu Changzhi 劉昌芝 (1993). "Beihulu tiyao 《北戶錄》題要", in Gou Cuihua 茍萃華, ed. Zhongguo kexue jishu dianji tonghui 中國科學技術典籍通彙, part Shengwu 生物卷 (Zhengzhou: Henan jiaoyu chubanshe), Vol. 1, 69-70.
Wang Zhaoming 王兆明, Fu Langyun 傅朗云, ed. (1991). Zhonghua gu wenxian da cidian 中華古文獻大辭典, Vol. Dili 地理卷 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 85.