ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature

Ningguta jilüe 寧古塔紀略

Sep 19, 2019 © Ulrich Theobald

Ningguta jilüe 寧古塔紀略 is a short book from the early Qing period 清 (1644-1911) on the city of Ningguta 寧古塔 (today's Ning'an 寧安, Heilongjiang) written by Wu Zhenchen 吳振臣 (b. 1664), original name Suhuan 蘇還, courtesy name Nanrong 南榮, whose family hailed from Wujiang 吳江, Jiangsu. His father was exiled in 1657 to Ningguta (hence the name Suhuan, meaning "return to Jiangsu"), where the family lived until 1681 before they returned to the south.

Wu finished his book in 1721. It is based on his own observations, but he certainly also consulted written sources. The book describes the geography, climate, flora and fauna, population, their customs and habits, and the administration of the region with great detail, and is of great historiographical value, particularly with regards to the customs of the Manchus and Hezhe 赫哲族 (in Russia known as Nanai) tribes. Not all statements are quite correct.

The book was printed at the time, and is included in the series Xiaofanghuzhai yudi congchao 小方壺齋輿地叢鈔, Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編 and Zhaodai congshu 昭代叢書.

Sources:
Gao Wende 高文德, ed. (1995). Zhongguo shaoshu minzu shi da cidian 中國少數民族史大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin jiaoyu chubanshe), 629.
Jilin baike quanshu bianzuan weiyuanhui 《吉林百科全書》編纂委員會, Zhongguo da baike quanshu bianjibu 《中國大百科全書》編輯部, ed. (2003). Jilin baike quanshu 吉林百科全書 (Beijing: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe), 65.