Yue daji 粵大記

Yue daji 粵大記 "Grand record of Guangdong" is a book on south China written by the late Ming-period 明 (1368-1644) scholar Guo Fei 郭棐 (1529-1605), courtesy name Duzhou 篤周, style Mengju 夢菊). He also compiled a collection of poems on various themes of the region, Linghai mingsheng zhi 岭海名胜志, and a semi-official provincial gazetteer, Sichuan tongzhi 四川通志.

The 32-juan long Yue daji was printed in 1598 and republished 1990 in the series Riben cang Zhongguo hanjian difangzhi congkan 日本藏中國罕見地方志叢刊 and 1998 in the series Lingnan congshu 嶺南叢書.

The transmitted text is missing the preface and the first fascicle. It includes many biographies and gives important information on society, peoples, and the administration of the southern provinces. It narrates the history of Guangdong, explains the provincial examination system, Neo-Confucian philosophers and schools, important achievements by local governors, scholars and participants in state examinations (xianzheng lei 獻征類), and political measures. The historical part (Shiji lei 事紀類) has the character of a "history of themes in their entirety" (jishi benmo 紀事本末) and so provides comfortable access to important events of the region.

The parts on officials (Huanji lei 宦績類) and on scholars are divided into 19 chapters in which the lives and achievements of various types of persons are narrated, with a total amount of 995 short biographies. Nearly 200 of them were quoted in the official provincial gazetteer Guangdong tongzhi 廣東通志 that was compiled during the Daoguang reign-period 道光 (1821-1850). The administrative part (Zhengshi lei 政事類) reports about military campaigns, the military system, hydraulic works, particularly along the course of the Pearl River, pearl farming, agro-colonies (tuntian 屯田) and the situation at the coastline, especially concerning defense against pirates. A map of the coastline is appended to the text.