Wusexian 五色線

Wusexian 五色線 "Five-coloured threads (i.e., all in one)" is a collection of stories of remarkable objects and supernatural occurrences compiled by an unknown author during the Song period 宋 (960-1279). The stories are gathered in the style of encyclopaedias, but without categorisation. In most cases, the origin of the references is given, but comparisons with the original texts show that quotations are often rendered wrongly.

The collection is found in the series Shuofu 說郛, Longwei mishu 龍威秘書, Baichuan xuehai 百川學海, Jindai mishu 津逮秘書 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.

The expression wu se xian 五色線 "five-coloured threads" comes from an old saying. From a poem of Du Mu 杜牧 (803-852), Junzhai duzhuo 郡齋獨酌, it can be learned that when a minister admonished the emperor about his mistakes, it was called bugun 補衮 "mending the imperial robe", an operation requiring threads of five different colours. Later on, the term came to be used as a literary allusion for beautifully written, ornate prose. The use of five-coloured threads can also be observed in many aspects of local folk culture, signifying the unison of all aspects of the universe.