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Dongzhai jishi 東齋記事

Aug 19, 2013 © Ulrich Theobald

Dongzhai jishi 東齋記事 "Records from the Eastern Study" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) written during the Northern Song period 北宋 (960-1126) by Fan Zhen 范鎮 (1001-1087), courtesy name Jingren 景仁.

He hailed from Huayang 華陽 near Chengdu 成都, Sichuan, and was a member of the Remonstrance Bureau (jianyuan 諫院) and later an academician (xueshi 學士) in the Hanlin Academy 翰林院. During the reign of Emperor Shenzong 宋神宗 (r. 1067-1085), he criticized the reform politics of Wang Anshi 王安石 (1021-1086) and therefore resigned as Vice Minister of Revenue (hubu shilang 戶部侍郎). Under Emperor Zhezong 宋哲宗 (r. 1085-1100), he was made Supervisor of the Promotion of Religion (tiju chongfu guan 提舉崇福官) and was finally given the title of Commandery Duke of Shu 蜀郡公.

The book Dongzhai jishi is the result of Fan Zhen's discussions with the thinker, historian and politician Sima Guang 司馬光 (1019-1086). The original shape of the book is not preserved. However, 5 juan of could be retrieved which were quoted in the Ming-period 明 (1368-1644) encyclopaedia Yongle dadian 永樂大典. These fragments constitute the sixth juan of the current version. The book includes information on the political, administrative and social history of the Northern Song court and Fan Zhen's homeland in Sichuan.

The Dongzhai jishi is included in the series Siku quanshu 四庫全書, Mohai jinhu 墨海金壺, Shoushange congshu 守山閣叢書 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編本. In 1980, the Zhonghua Shuju Press 中華書局 published a modern, annotated edition.

Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, and Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. 1996. Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典, vol. 2, 1947. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe.
Wu Feng 吳楓, ed. 1994. Zhonghua gu wenxian da cidian 中華古文獻大辭典, vol. Wenxue 文學, 151. Changchun: Jilin wenxue chubanshe.
Xu Yang 徐洋. 2020. "Dongzhai jishi de chengshu, banben ji shiliao jiazhi kao 《東齋記事》的成書、版本及史料價值考." Chongqing Di Er Shifan Xueyuan xuebao 重慶第二師範學院學報 33 (2): 40-43.
Zheng Yunbo 鄭雲波, ed. 1992. Zhongguo gudai xiaoshuo cidian 中國古代小說辭典, 399. Nanjing: Nanjing daxue chubanshe.