Huangshan zhi 黃山志

Huangshan zhi 黃山志 is a local gazetteer on the famous Mt. Huangshan, southern Anhui, compiled during the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Zhang Peifang 張佩芳 (1732-1793), courtesy name Sunpu 蓀圃, from Pinding 平定, Shanxi..

The book of 2 juan was printed in 1770. The first fascicle describes the landcape, the local administration, Buddhist and Daoist monasteries and local products, the second one quotes from ancient travel reports. From these sources it can be known that the original name of the mountain range was Yishan 黟山, but because the Yellow Emperor (Huang Di 黃帝) once burnt drugs and this place and ascended to Heaven as an immortal, the place was given the name "Yellow Mountain". The change of name took place during the mid-8th century. The travel reports reveal how arduous the ascent to the summit was, and how pilgrims used to celebrate when they arrived at temples on the top. Most of these describe the landscape, as Wang Daokun's 汪道昆 (1525-1593) Hongzhongji 谼中記 or Liu Dakui's 劉大魁 (1698-1779) Huangshanji 黃山記, which are quoted in full.

Another book of this title was written by Min Lisi 閔麟嗣 (1628-1704), courtesy name Binlian 賓連, style Gan'an 橄庵. It is 7-juan long and describes the landscape, buildings and local products, eminent persons and strange matters, and quotes from ancient literature on the mountain.

A supplement with the title Huangshan zhi xuji 黄山志續集 (originally called Huangshan xuzhi dingben 黄山續志定本) and a length of 10 juan was written by Wang Shihong 汪士鋐 (1658-1723), courtesy name Fuchen 扶晨, style Liting 栗亭. Both books are commonly rated as scholarly less reliable than that of Zhang Peifang.

For a history of books on Mt. Huangshan, see Stephen McDowall (2009), Qian Qianyi's Reflections on Yellow Mountain: Traces of a Late-Ming Hatchet and Chisel (Hong Kong: Hong Kong University Press), in particular pp. 35-40. This book deals with Qian Qianyi's 錢謙益 (1582-1664) You Huangshan ji 遊黃山記.

Other books on Mt. Huangshan are Huangshan lingyao lu 黃山領要錄 by Wang Hongdu 汪洪度 (fl. 1721), Huangshan jisheng 黃山紀勝 by Xu Ao 徐璈 (fl. 1824), Huangshan shigai 黃山史概 by Chen Ding 陳鼎 (b. 1650), Huangshan youji 黃山游記 by Wang Wei 王煒, Huangshan nianpu 黃山年譜 by Fa Ruozhen 法若真 (1613－1696), Huangshan youji 黃山遊記 by Su Zongren 蘇宗仁, You Huangshan ji 遊黃山記 by Yuan Mei 袁枚 (1716-1797), You Huangshan ji 遊黃山記 by Cao Wenzhi 曹文埴 (1735-1798), You Huangshan ji 遊黃山記 by Huang Yue 黃鉞 (1750-1841), Huangshan jiyou 黃山紀遊 by Wang Zhuo 王灼, Huangshan jiyou 黃山紀遊 by Huang Zhaomin 黃肇敏, Huangshan xing liu song 黃山行六頌 by Wu Shiquan 吳士權, the rhapsody Huangshan fu 黃山賦 by Monk Haiyue 釋海岳, and Huangshan tujing 黃山圖經 by an anonymous author of the Song period 宋 (960-1279).

Maps of Mt. Huangshan (Huangshan tu 黃山圖) were drawn by Monk Xuezhuang 釋雪莊 and Monk Hongren 釋宏仁. Min Linsi 閔麟嗣 (1628-1704) wrote a book on painting cliffs and firs of the region, Huangshan songshi pu 黃山松石譜, as did Song Lao 宋犖 (1634-1714) for the landscape and flowers (Huang haishan huatu yong 黃海山花圖詠) and Wu Song 吳菘 for grassy plants (Huijian 卉箋). A part of these writings are assembled in Su Zongren's series Huangshan congkan 黃山叢刊.