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Shilin guangji 事林廣記

Jul 18, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Shilin guangji 事林廣記 "Vast records of the matters forest" is an encyclopaedia for everyday use compiled during the late Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) by Chen Yuanjing 陳元靚 (c. 1250) from Jian'an 建州 (today's Nanping 南平, Fujian). Of his life, practically. nothing is known. He also compiled the books Suishi guangji 歲時廣記 and Bowenlu 博聞錄, the former being a kind of agricultural handbook, and the latter a collection of must-knows.

It was expanded during the Yuan 元 (1279-1368) and Ming 明 (1368-1644) periods.

As an encyclopedia, the Shilin guangji contains a very wide range of topics dealt with. Its characteristics in comparison with other contemporary encyclopaedias like the Taiping yulan 太平御覽 or the Yuhai 玉海 is that is contains a lot of information about daily life in the urban markets, like calculation methods of merchants, or colloquial terms, and that it provides a large amount of illustrations. The latter feature provided an important example for later encyclopaedias, like the Sancai tuhui 三才圖會, but also the large Gujin tushu jicheng 古今圖書集成.

Figures 1-3. Illustrations with text from the Shilin guangji 事林廣記 (1280 version)
Children learning polite gestures.
Circle of harmony of the five tones of the pentatonic scale (wuyin 五音), the twelve pitches (lülü 律呂) and the musical modes (gongdiao 宮調).
Charts showing different situations of a board game.

Because the book was not imperially issued it was reprinted as the market desired and therefore many different versions are available, each of them containing new chapters, additions and supplements. Chapters also vary in content, like the treatises about state offices, which were very different under the Song, the Yuan and the Ming dynasties. Today there are six versions surviving. Chen Yuanjin's lost original (zuben 祖本) was the basis for two different strands, namely 1) the so-called pre-Zhiyuan (referring to the Zhiyuan reign-period 至元, 1264-1294) text which became the original Zhishun version (Zhishun yuanben 至順原本, referring to the Zhishun reign-period 至順, 1330-1332, lost), of which one reprint exists in the Imperial Palace (Gugong Zhishun ben 故宮至順本, facsimile print by Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局), one copy of the Grand Secretariat (Neige Zhishun ben 內閣至順本), and a Ming-period copy (Hongwu ben 洪武本), of which all Japanese versions and copies are derived, as well as a print from the Chenghua reign-period (Chenghua kanben 成化刊本). There are also ten-series versions printed after the Zhiyuan reign-period by the Japanese Archives and Mausolea Department (Shoryōbu 書陵部) of the Imperial Household Agency. The second strand 2) is the ten-series version of the Zhiyuan reign-period (Zhiyuan kan shi ji ben 至元刊十集本), and its emulation of a print from the Taiding reign-period (Taiding ben 泰定本, lost), the direct ancestor of another Japanese print called He ke ben 和刻本 (facsimile Kyūko Shoin 汲古書院).

The oldest surviving edition is the 1330 version printed by the Jian'an Chunzhuang Library 建安椿莊書院 and reprinted in 1963 by the Zhonghua Shuju Press 中華書局. The second important version is that from 1325 which was reprinted in Japan in 1699. This version contains a lot of information on society and its language under the Mongol rule, and it shows how popular this old book still was among Chinese communities at the end of the 17th century.

Table 1. Contents of the 1280 version of the Zuantu zengxin qunshu leiyao Shilin guangji 纂圖增新群書類要事林廣記 (1280, Master Zheng's Jicheng Hall 鄭氏積誠堂刊)
甲集 Series 1
天象 Heaven and the sky
曆候 Calendar and time measuring
節序 The sequence of work through the year
農桑 Agriculture and sericulture
花品 Flowers
菓實 Fruits
竹木 Bamboos and trees
乙集 Series 2
人絕 Human relations
人事 Human affairs
家禮 Family rites
儀禮(時帖附) Ceremonies (app. xxx)
丙集 Series 3
帝系 Imperial genealogies
絕年 Chronology
歷代 History
聖賢 Sacred worthies
先賢 Former worthies
丁集 Series 4
儒教 Scholarship
幼學 Education
文房 The study
佛教 Buddhism
道教 Daoism
修真 Cultivation
戊集 Series 5
官制 State offices
俸給 Salaries
刑法 Penal law
公理 Public order
貨寶 Commodities and precious objects
醫學 Medicine
己集 Series 6
文籍 Prose writings
辭章 Stanzas and poetry
History
選擇 Official career
器用 Tools and utensils
庚集 Series 7
音樂 Music
文藝 Literary arts
辛集 Series 8
武藝 Martial arts
音譜 Musical notation
筭法 Arithmetics
雜詠 Miscellaneous chants
伎術 Skills and techniques
閨粧 The female quarters
壬集 Series 9
茶菓 Tea and fruits
酒麴 Wine and liquors
麫食 Staple food
飲饌 Diet
禽獸 Birds and beasts
牧養 Grazing animals
癸集 Series 10
地輿 Geography
郡邑 Commanderies and cities
方國 Regions and countries
勝跡 Tourist spots
仙境 The realm of immortals
拾遺 Supplement
Table 2. Contents of the Xinbian zuantu zenglei qunshu leiyao Shilin guangji 新編纂圖增類群書類要事林廣記 from 1330-33 (Jian'an Chunzhuang Shuyuan 建安椿莊書院 edition)
前集 Former Series
1 天文類 Heaven and astronomy
2 曆候類 Calendar and chronology
節序類 The sequence of work through the year
3 地輿類 Geography
4 郡邑類 Commanderies and cities
5 方國類(缺) Regions and countries (lost)
6 勝蹟類 Tourist spots
仙境類 The realm of immortals
7 人紀類 Human relations
8-9 人事類 Human affairs
10 家禮類 Family rites
11 儀禮類 Cermonies
12 農桑類 Agriculture and sericulture
13 花果類 Flowers and fruits
竹木類 Bamboos and trees
後集 Later Series
1 帝系類 The imperial genealogies
2 紀年類 Chronology
歷代類 History
3-4 聖賢類 Sacred worthies
5 先賢類 Former worthies
6 宮室類 Buildings
學校類 Schools
7 文籍類 Prose writings
辭章類 Stanzas and poetry
8 儒教類 Scholarship
9 幼學類 Education
文房類 The study
10 服飾類 Clothing and adornments
閨妝類 The female quarters
11 器用類 Tools and utensils
12 普樂類 Music
音譜類 Musical notation
13 武藝類 Martial arts
績集 Continued Series
1-2 道教類 Daoism
3 禪教類 Buddhism
4-8 文藝類 Literary arts
別集 Separate Series
1-2 官制類 State offices
3 刑法類 Penal law
4 公理類 Public order
5 貨寶類 Commodities and precious objects
6 筭法類 Arithmetics
7 茶菓類 Tea and fruits
8 酒麴類 Wine and liquors
Table 3. Contents of the Japanese version of the Xinbian qunshu leiyao Shilin guangji 新編群書類要事林廣記 from 1684 (Ton'an Yūteki 遯菴由的)
甲集 Series 1
1 天文圖說門 Heaven and astronomy
2 地理圖經門 The earth and geogrpahy
3-4 節令記載門 The seasons
5 律歷氣數門 Time measuring and weather
6-8 歷代提綱門 History
9 正統年運門 Chronology
10 宋朝世襲門 Imperial genealogy of the Song dynasty
11 京都城闕門 The capital cities
12 挈壺晝夜門 Time measuring
乙集 Series 2
1 燕京圖志 The city of Yanjing (today's Beijing)
2 朝京驛程 Courier routes to the capital
3 江北郡縣 Districts and commanderies north of the Yangtze
4 江南郡縣 Districts and commanderies south of the Yangtze
丙集 Series 3
1 素王事實 Veritable facts of the pure sovereigns
2 伊學淵源 The origins of the teachings of River Yi (Neo-Confucianism)
3 聖賢褒贊 Praise of the sacred worthies
4 多將建封 Appointment and ennoblement of the many military leaders
5 文章緣起 History of literati
丁集 Series 4
1 經書諸子 The Classics and masters
2 諸史修撰 History books
3 速成模楷 Quick models and examples
4 文藝直訣 Direct formulas for writing
5 勸學捷徑 Brief exhortation to learn and study
6 切字活法 Vivid method of important words
正訛點畫 Hints at correct and incorrect writing
7 古文奇字 Outstanding shapes of ancient characters
8 草書體勢 The momenta of grass-script characters
9 古篆偏旁 Parts of ancient seal-script characters
10 蒙古篆字 Mongolian script ('Phags-pa)
戊集 Series 5
1 祭器儀式 Sacrificial vessels and ceremonial objects
2 文藝類 Literary arts
3 弧矢譜法 Notes on archery
4 軍陣奇正 Orthodox and unorthodox formations in battle
5 藝圃須知 Must-knows of the garden skills
6-7 器物紀原 Chronology of objects
7 器物原始門 The origins of objects
8 音樂舉要門 Important issues of music
9 樂星圖譜門 Star charts
10 古代樂舞門 Ancient music and dance
己集 Series 6
1 黃庭要旨門 Decrees of the Yellow Court
2 辟粒服餌門 Diet by avoiding grain
3 真人攝養門 Life protection by perfect men
4 道教洪緒門 The transmission of Daoism
天師宗系門 Genealogies of the Heavenly Masters
5 空門清派門 The Pure School of Buddhism
6-7 聖真降會 Assemblies of the Saints and Perfects
8 藏經名相門 Famous Buddhist writings
9 禪門規範門 The rules of Chan/Zen Buddhism
10 禳鎮指要門 Important facts of fasting rites
庚集 Series 7
1 涉世良規門 Good rules for social intercourse
2 四民安業門 The professions of the four classes of people
農田急務門 Urgent matters of agriculture
旅行雜記門 Miscellaneous records of travels
3 農桑急務門 Urgent matters of sericulture
4 訓戒嘉言門 Excellent words of exhortation
5 治家規訓門 The rules of bringing order into the family
6 畜牧便宜門 Appropriate arrangements for animal husbandry
7 立身箴誨 Admonitions for rectifying oneself
8 仕途守要 Shields for official career
9 事務綺談 Easy words on duties
10 至元驛語 [Mongolian] expressions used in courier stations during the Zhiyuan reign-period
辛集 Series 8
1 藥石辨正 Correct determination of materia medica
2-4 藥石備用 Prepration of materia medica
5 解毒備急 Quick recipes of anti-dotes
備急單方 Quick recipes of single ingredients
6 藥忌反畏 Counter-indications for medicine
7 獸醫集驗 Collected experience from veterinary medicine
8 島夷雜誌 Miscellaneous records of the barbarians of the islands
9 山海靈異 Strange appearances of the mountains and the seas
10 歌狀新式 New styles of songs
壬集 Series 9
1 至元雜令 Miscellaneous orders of the Zhiyuan reign-period
吉凶雜儀 Various ceremonial activities to [prognosticate] good and bad omens
2 婚姻舊體 Ancient nuptial rites
嫁娶新儀 New marriage ceremonies
3 喪祭通禮 Coherent rites for funeral sacrifices
4 五服隆降 Orders for mourning robes
5 讖候玄機 Secret mechanisms of apocryphal prognostications
庶徵休咎 Determination of luck and bad luck
6 仙靈遺蹟 Traces of immortals and deities
7 星命要括 Important facts of astrology
占時悔吝 Prognostication of inauspicious times
8 人倫奧旨 Secret orders of human relations
9 卜筮 Soothsaying by using milfoil stalks
10 郡望音屬 Local eminent families
癸集 Series 10
1 麴法纂要 Important facts of fermentation
2 異釀醴醪門 Special liquors
3 庖副利用門 Applications of the vice chief
4 蒭豢集珍門 Collected jewels of fodder and bran
5 殽蔌搜奇門 In search of outstanding dishes of meat and vegetables
6 歛藏述異門 Report of peculiarities hidden in the pantry
7 綺疏叢要門 Assembled points of carved valuables
8 宮院事宜門 Tasks of the palace
9 珍奇製作門 The production of precious objects
10 茶品集錄 Collected records on tea classes
11 花菓品題 Classified presentation of flowers and fruits
12 玳筵行樂 Amusement on the bamboo mats adorned with tortoiseshell
綺席豪奢 Extravagance matters of the sitting mats
仙方幻術 Secret skills in the methods of immortals
13 詼諧文話 Fun and humour
花判公案 Flower judgments of criminal cases
嘲戲綺語 Jokes about love and erotic
摘奇故事 Selected stories of strange matters
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