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Hebi shilei beiyao 合璧事類備要

Dec 15, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Gujin hebi shilei beiyao 古今合璧事類備要 "Well-prepared digest of categorized matters of the joint jade circles quoted from old and new [literature]", short title Gujin beiyao 古今備要, is an encyclopaedia written during the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) by Xie Weixin 謝維新.

The original version of the book consisted of three collections (qianji 前集 "former", houji 後集 "later", and xuji 續集 "subsequent"), and there are two more collections (bieji 別集 "separate", waiji 外集 "outer"), which the Qing-period 清 (1644-1911) scholar Sun Xingyan 孫星衍 (1753-1818) attributes to Yu Zai 虞載. The book was finished in 1257 and has a total length of 366 juan, including all five collections.

The Hebi collections treat more than 2,300 different themes in 165 categories. Each chapter has an introduction to the theme (zonglun 總論), which is followed by quotations from prose writings (shilei 事類), and a third part in which relevant poems are quoted (shiji 詩集). The literal quotation of such types of literature from the Song period and before is very important for a text-critical reconstruction of the original texts. The first collection mainly deals with the universe and natural phenomena (hence the title of the joint jade circles, i. e. sun and moon), the second mainly with the state and its administration, the third category focuses on family structures, the fourth collection speaks about rituals, music and penal law, but also of animals and plants. The fifth collection resumes some missing points of state administration and adds information on objects of daily life. Especially concerning the latter, the Hebi provides information not to be found in other encyclopaedias.

During the Qing period, Li E 厲鶚 (1692-1752) created an excerpt of poetry quoted in the Gujin beiyao, the Songshi jishi 宋詩紀事.

There is a moveable-type print from 1498 made by Master Hua's 華氏 Tonghui Studio 通會堂. In 1556, Qu Xiaxiang 衢夏相 published a facsimile of a Song-period print, which was itself revised and republished in 1609 by Qin Luo 秦爍. The Gujin hebi shilei beiyao is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書. In 1971, the Xinxing Press 新興書局 in Taibei published a modern edition, based on a Song-period print.

Table 1. Contents of the Gujin hebi shilei beiyao 古今合璧事類備要
Note: There are inconsistencies between the general index (Zongmu 總目), the individual chapter titles, and the whole systematic. There might be differences between this list (which tries to balance out) and the original text, particularly in the last part of the encylcopaedia (Waiji 外集), where chapter titles are too detailed.
前集 First Series
1-4 天文門 Heaven and astronomy
5-9 地理門 Earth and geography
10 歲時門 Chronology and time
11 氣候門 Weather and climate
12 占候門 Determining the right time
13-14 時令門 Seasonal ordinances
15-18 節序門 Fix days of the year
19 祥瑞門 Auspicious matters
20 災異門 Inauspicious occurrences
21-22 帝屬門 Sovereigns and their relatives
23 國戚門 Relatives of empresses
24-28 親屬門 Paternal family members
29 外親屬門 Maternal family members
30 閫儀門 Virtues of females
31-32 嗣續門 Virtues of sons
33 師友門 Teachers and friends
34 賓主門 Hosts and guests
35 故舊門 Ancient expressions
36 學校門 Schools
37-38 科舉門 State examinations
39-42 仕進門 Official career
43-44 儒業門 The duties of Confucian scholars
45 字學門 Lexicography
46 文房門 Objects of the study
47-49 釋教門 Buddhism
50-51 道教門 Daoism
52 民事門 People's affairs
53 倡(娼)優門 Singsong girls
54 人品門 Classified females (incl. <寵姬> Favourites, <奴婢> Slave girls)
55-57 技術門 Professional skills
58 壽典門 Birthday ceremonies
59 冠禮門 Capping rites
60-61 婚禮門 Nuptial rites
62-65 喪禮(喪紀,弔禮)門 Funeral rites (incl. <國哀> National mourning)
66 襄事門 Completion of the funeral rites
67 墓地門 Tomb locations
68 哀輓(挽)門 Mourning
69 鬼神門 Ghosts and spirits
後集 Second Series
1-5 君道門 The Way of the Ruler
6-10 臣道門 The Way of the Ministers
11 三公門 The Three Dukes
12 三少門 The Three Junior Dukes
13-14 道揆門 The Policy Makers (Left and Right Counsellor-in-chief)
15-16 執政門 Vice Grand Counsellors, the Bureau of Military Affairs
17 樞屬門 Offices under the Bureau of Military Affairs
18 宰(府)屬門 Offices under the Counsellors
19 左右史門 Left and Right Historiographer
20-21 給舎門 Supervising Secretaries, Secretariat Drafters
22 翰苑門 The Hanlin Academy
23 經筵門 Members of Imperial Colloquia
24 臺諫(諫官)門 Remonstrance officials
25 臺官門 The Censorate
26-32 六部門 The Six Ministries (incl. 尚侍)
33-35 九卿門 The Nine Chamberlains
36-38 三監門 The Three Directorates of Education, of Palace Buildings, and of Imperial Manufactories
39-41 三學門 The Three Schools: Directorate of Education, Military School, Dynastic School
42-43 史館門 The Historiography Institute
44-46 東宮官門 Officials of the Princely Establishment
47 大宗正門 The Office of the Imperial Clan
48 王府官門 The Princely Establishment
49 四(院)轄門 Various subordinated offices of the central government
50 京局門 Administrative units of the capital city
51 歷官門 Officers of chronicles
52 環衛官門 The guards
53 宦官門 Palace management
54 三衙門 Palace command, Infantry Command, Cavalry Command
55 閣舎門 Attendants of functional palace halls
56 殿學門 Academicians
57 閣學門 Academicians
58 閣職門 Administration of functional palace halls
59 宮觀門 Palaces and Temples
60 節相門 Abolished offices (?)
61 官品門 Types of offices
62 文武階官門 Civilian and military career
63 節使門 Commissioners
64 國使門 Diplomatic service
65 帥閫門 Regional commanders
66-70 監司門 Circuit supervisors
71-73 守臣門 Protectors of the capital
74-75 將帥門 Generals
76 郡官門 Commandery administration
77-78 州官門 Prefectural administration
79-80 縣官門 District administration
81 監當門 Local finance administration
續集 Third Series
1-2 氏族門 Family registers and chronicles
3 姓名門 Family and personal name
4-6 家世門 Family rules
7-30 類姓門 Common family names
31-41 性行門 Human nature and conduct
42-51 事為門 Social intercourse
52-54 恩讎門 Debt of gratitude and revenge
55 禍福門 Misfortune and good luck
56 報應門 Redemption of deeds
别集 Fourth Series
1-5 都邑(國都)門 Capital cities
6-7 橋道門 Bridges and roads
8-9 關津門 Passes and fords
10 市井門 Markets and wells
11-12 鄉里門 Townships and villages
13-19 宮室(居處)門 Buildings
20-21 苑囿門 Parks and gardens
22-39 花卉門 Flowers
40-48 菓門 Fruits
49-53 衆木門 Trees
54 竹木門 Bamboos
55-56 百草門 Herbs
57-58 榖粟門 Grains
59-61 蔬門 Vegetables
62-63 五靈門 The five mythological creatures
64-75 飛禽門 Birds
76-80 走獸門 Beasts
81-85 畜産門 Domestic animals
86-88 水族門 Aquatic creatures
89-94 蟲豸(蟲蟻)門 Lower creatures
外集門 Fifth Series
禮樂 Rites and music
1-2 典禮門 Canonic rites
3-9 祭祀門 Sacrifices
10-18 音樂門 Music
刑法, 獄訟 Judicial matters
17 刑法門 Penal law
26 法令門 Law and imperial decrees
賦税, 征役 Taxation and labour service
27-29 賦役門 Taxation
30 徭役門 Labour service
平糶 Adjustment of grain prices
31 救荒門 Disaster relief
璽印 State seals
32 璽綬門 State seals
服飾 Robes and adornment
33-37 服飾門 Robes and adornment
38 簡笏門 Tablets for memorialization
39 寢衣門 Bedcovers
40 衣服門 Clothing
香茶 Fragrances and teas
41-42 香茶門 Fragrances and teas
餽遺 Presents to subordinates
43 餽遺門 Presents to subordinates
飲膳 Diet
44-45 飲膳門 Diet
46 餅餌門 Cookies and cakes
47 鹽醯門 Salt and pickles
珍寳 Jewelry and precious objects
48 珍寳門 Precious objects
器用 Tools and utensils
49 簾帷門 Curtains
50 屏風門 Paravents
51 床簀門 Bedroom furniture
52 鼎鑊門 Pots and kettles
53 鏡照門 Mirrors
54-55 燈燭門 Lamps
56 矢門 Arrows
57 刀劒門 Swords
58 舟艦門 Boats
59 器物門 Tools
60 傘扇門 Parasols and fans
61 財貨門 Gold
62-63 財用門 Jade, pearls etc.
錦綺, 布帛 Silk fabric and other types of fabric
64 錦繡門 Brocade and other types of silk
65 財用門 Coins
錢楮 Money
66 錢楮門 Money
Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文鬰, eds. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 2, 2041.
Wen Zhiba 溫志拔 (2017). "Bowuxue de Nansong tujing: Yi Guji hebi shilei beiyao wie zhongxin de kaocha 博物學的南宋圖景: 以《古今合璧事類備要》 為中心的考察", Weinan Shifan Xueyuan xuebao 渭南師範學院學報, 2017 (3): 53-57.
Wu Fangjian 吳方劍 (2021). "Nansong leishu Gujin hebi shilei beiyao banben kaolu 南宋類書《古今合璧事類備要》版本考錄", Tushuguan jie 圖書館界, 2021 (6): 1-4+12.
Wu Fangjian 吳方劍 (2022a)."Nansong leishu Gujin hebi shilie beiyao kaolüe "南宋類書《古今合璧事類備要》考略", Guji zhengli yanjiu xuekan 古籍整理研究刊, 2022 (2): 13-19.
Wu Fangjian 吳方劍 (2022b). "Song keben Gujin hebi shilei beiyao cangshu yin kao 宋刻本《古今合璧事類備要》藏書印考", Sichuan Tushuguan xuebao 四川圖書館學報, 2022 (1): 80-86.
Yang Balin 楊寶霖 (1985). "Gujin hebi shilei beiyao bieji caomu juan yu Quanfang beizu 《古今合璧事類備要》别集草木卷與《全芳備祖》", Wenxian 文獻, 1985 (1): 160-173.
Zhao Hankun 趙含坤 (2005). Zhongguo leishu 中國類書 (Shijiazhuang: Hebei renmin chubanshe), 127-129.