Nanyue wuzhu zhuan 南越五主傳

Nanyue wuzhu zhuan 南越五主傳 is a collection of the biographies of the five rulers of the ancient state of Southern Yue 南越 (203-111 BCE) that existed during the early Former Han period 前漢 (206 BCE-8 CE). The book of 3 juan was written by Liang Tingnan 梁廷楠 (1796-1861), courtesy name Zhangran 章冉, style Tenghuating zhuren 藤花亭主人), who is also the author of a book on the early maritime customs system, Yue haiguan zhi 粵海關志.

The five rulers are Zhao Tuo 趙佗 (Xianzhu zhuan 先主傳), Zhao Hu 趙胡 (King Wen 南越文王), Zhao Yingqi 趙嬰齊 (King Ming 南越明王), Zhao Xing 趙興 and Zhao Jiande 趙建德. Zhao Tuo had been a general under the Qin dynasty 秦 (221-206 BCE), conquered the region, and after the dynasty's demise he and his successors ruled more or less autonomously over the region.

The book is a history of the Chinese colonization of a region hitherto inhabited by native peoples and shows the gradual expansion of the Han state. The author worked with greatest diligence and corrects not a few errors found in the official provincial gazetteer Guangdong tongzhi 廣東通志.

The book was printed first in 1833 and is found in the series Zimingchenglou congshu 自明誠樓叢書, published in 1934.