Hongqiulu 鴻猷錄

Hongqiulu 鴻猷錄 "Extensive plans" is a history book on the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) written by the scholar Gao Dai 高岱 (1508-1567), courtesy name Zongbo 宗伯, from Jingshan 京山, Hubei. He was a petty official in the Western Section (i.e. the Ministry of Justice, xicao li 西曹吏) and then ministerial secretary in the Ministry of Justice (xingbu zhushi 刑部主事), and wrote also the books Qiaolun 樵論, Chu-Han yutan 楚漢餘談 and Xicao ji 西曹集 (his collected writings).

Gao Dai was convinced that the study of contemporary affairs would support an official's administrative competence. Yet because the official "veritable records" (shilu 實錄) were not accessible to the public, he combed through other official and unofficial records about actors of contemporary history, compared sources and added critical comments. The result of his studies was the 16-juan long book Hongqiulu.

The book begins with the foundation of the Ming dynasty and ends in 1552. It focuses on factional strife at the Ming court, fights against rebels, and military campaigns against "barbarians", for instance, chapters 9, 11, 13, 15, and 16 which describe the suppression of southern minority tribes like the Miao 苗. It is arranged in 60 chapters, each of which bears a characteristic headline. Each chapter ends with a judgment by the historian. The book was finished in 1552 and printed in 1565 by Gao Sicheng 高思誠. It is included in the series Jilu huibian 紀錄匯編, Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編 and Guoxue wenku 國學文庫.