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An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History and Literature
Zhuyu shanfang zabu 竹嶼山房雜部 "Miscellaneous books from the Mountain Studio of the Bamboo Isle" is a collection of essays on a wide range of issues that is arranged in an enyclopaedical manner. The articles with a total length of 32 juan were compiled during the late Ming period 明 (1368-1644) by Song Xu 宋詡, courtesy name Jiufu 久夫, and his son Song Gongwang 宋公望, courtesy name Tianmin 天民. The book was edited by the latter's son Song Maocheng 宋懋澄. Details about their lives are not known.
The first part of the book (juan 1-6) is concerned with diet and health care (Yangsheng bu 養生部; see Songshi yangsheng bu 宋氏養生部), the second one (7-8) with leisure-time activities (Yanxian bu 燕閑部; see Songshi yanxian bu 宋氏燕閑部), and the third one (9-12) with plants and domestic animals (Shuchu bu 樹畜部,). This part of the book was written by Song Xu. The following chapters, written by Song Gongwang, are concerned with plant cultivation (Zhongzhi bu 種植部, juan 13-22), and with medical practice and healthy diet (Zunsheng bu 尊生部, juan 23-32; see Songshi zunsheng bu 宋氏尊生部). The parts on food and healthy diet are most famous.
The catalogue Qianqingtang shumu 千頃堂書目 divides the book into two collections (Qianji 前集, Houji 後集), and lists a different arrangement with the parts Shuchu bu (4 juan), Yansheng bu (6 juan), Jiayao 家要 (2 juan, important matters of daily family life), Zongyi 宗儀 (2 juan, ancestral rites), and Jiagui 家規 (4 juan, family rules) for the first collection, and just one fascicle for each of the parts Zhongzhi and Zunsheng of the second collection. It seems that the author of the Qianqingtang shumu had an unfinished version at hand.
While the Song family's home encyclopaedia is concerned with matters of daily routine, it has also scholarly value because the authors checked ancient literature and provided corrections on erroneous statements, like the fish jiu 鯦 mentioned in the Classic glossary Erya 爾雅 which should be the species hu 魱 instead.
The whole book is found in the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.