Jinshi huiyuan 近事會元

Jinshi huiyuan 近事會元 "Backgrounds of modern affairs" is a book written during the Northern Song period 北宋 (960-1126) by Li Shangjiao 李上交 (fl. 1056) from Zanhuang 贊皇 (part of today's Shijiazhuang 石家莊, Hebei). Qian Zeng's 錢曾 (1629-1701) book catalogue Dushu minqiu ji 讀書敏求記 explains that after his retirement to Zhongling 鐘陵, Li gathered information from history books, stories, and miscellaneous other writings, and put together more than 500 brief chapters of information, spreading over 5 fascicles (juan). The preface of the book is dated 1056.

Li assembles information on administrative, geographies, and various matters from latter third of the Tang 唐 (618-907) to the Five-Dynasties period 五代 (907-960). The most significant part of his sources are the official dynastic histories of the time, as well as novellas, and "brush-notes" books (biji 筆記). Many aspects narrated in Li's book are not found in other writings. This makes his book a valuable supplement to the official histories, but also to specialised books like Cui Bao's 崔豹 (c. 300) Gujinzhu 古今注 or Gao Cheng's 高承 (fl. 1197) Shiwu jiyuan 事物紀原.

Fascicles 1 through 3 are dedicated to the palaces, chariots and robes, the offices system, the military, and the Six Ministries. The fourth juan explains aspects of music and administrative geography. The last section covers a wide array of various themes, like clothing, marriage, stories around princesses, state sacrifices, law, amnesties, punishment, official communication, and outstanding travels.

The text is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Shoushange congshu 守山閣叢書 and Jifu congshu 畿輔叢書.