Quan Liao zhi 全遼志 [Gazetteer for All of the Liao Region]

Six vols. 8vo, orig. wrappers, orig. stitching. [China]: Liao hai shu she 遼海書社, [1934].




An uncommon typeset edition of this work on what is today the Liaoning province of China. A so-called gazetteer, our book provides information on the geography and history of Liaoning, the southernmost of the three provinces that make up Manchuria. Historically, different parts of the province had culturally diverse populations, with speakers of Chinese, Mongolic, and Jurchenic languages occupying different areas in different times.


As a transition zone between Chinese and Inner Asian cultures, the territory described in our book held parts of the fortifications known as the Great Wall. These fortifications are covered in part in juan two, in part in the biographies of various officials who worked on improving border defenses during their tenure in the region. "Gazetteer for All of the Liao Region is an important reference work for research on the Great Wall in Liaodong" (Lin & Li, Changcheng cidian, 571).


The book was reportedly first written by Chen Jiang and then revised by Li Fu. While we find no information on Chen, Li was a Ming official who served for a time in Liaodong, now part of Liaoning province (Gu, Jiaoyu da cidian, 330).


The book contains a Preface by Jin Yufu 金毓黻 (1887-1962) and one by the Ming official Wang Zhigao 王之誥, dated 1565 (Jiajing yichou). There is a Postface by Li Fu dated 1566 (Jiajing 45). A record of emendations made to the text, by Gao Fenglou 高鳳樓 and Xu Linying 許麟應, ends the work.


Fine set, preserved in a hantao.



References


Gu Mingyuan 顾明远. Jiaoyu da cidian 教育大辞典. Vol. 9. Shanghai: Shanghai jiaoyu chubanshe, 1992.


Lin Yan 林岩 & Li Yiran 李益然, eds. Changcheng cidian 长城辞典. Shanghai: Wenhui chubanshe, 1999.