Yiwenji 異聞集

Yiwenji 異聞集 "Collection of hearsay stories of the extraordinary" is a collection of fantastic stories compiled during the Tang period 唐 (618-907) by Chen Han 陳翰 (9th cent.).

The original book of 10 juan length is already lost. The Song-period 宋 (960-1279) encyclopaedia Taiping guangji 太平廣記 quotes 20 stories from the Yiwenji, and Zeng Zao's 曾慥 (died 1155 or 1164) encyclopaedia Leishuo 類說 includes 25 stories. There were more than forty famous stories from the Tang period recorded in the Yiwenji, many of which are also transmitted separately, like Gujingji 古鏡記 "The old mirror", Zhenzhongji 枕中記 "Inside the wooden pillow", Renshizhuan 任氏傳 "Story of Master Ren", Li Wa zhuan 李娃傳 "Story of Li Wa", Huo Xiaoyu zhuan 霍小玉傳 "Story of Huo Xiaoyu", Nanke taishou zhuan 南柯太守傳 "The governor of Nanke", or Liu Yi zhuan 柳毅傳 "Story of Liu Yi".

Several Song-period authors listed the titles of these stories as separate books, for instance, Chao Gongwu 晁公武 (1101-1180) in his book catalogue Junzhai dushu zhi 郡齋讀書志. A substantial part of the tales in the Yiwenji have only survived as quotations in other sources.