Han xi yu tu kao

Han Xiyu tu kao (Maps and records of the Western Regions during the Han) was compiled by Li Guangting (1812-80), courtesy names Zhudao and Huiyuan, a native of Fanyu, Guangdong. He received his jin shi degree in the second year (1852) of the Xianfeng reign of the Qing dynasty and became a secretary at the Ministry of Personnel. During the Taiping Rebellion, Li returned to his home to help train militia. For his meritorious service he was promoted to vice director and took up the post in the capital. He retired in the early Tongzhi reign (1862-74) to take care of his aging parents. He became a lecturer of the Yushan Academy and for some years was the chancellor of the famous Xuehaitang Academy in Guangzhou; later he headed the Duanxi Academy in Zhaoqing. He was the author of Guangzhou Fu zhi (Gazetteer of Guangzhou Prefecture). Li Guangting was conversant with geography, classics, skilled in textual criticism, proficient in poetry, and excelled in bian wen (parallel prose). Among his other works are Guang Yuan Yishan nian pu (Expanded chronology of Yuan Yishan) in two juan, Bei cheng kao shi (Records of the northern journey) in two juan, Wanmei wen chao (Collected essays of the Wanmei Studio), and Shi chao yu (Supplementary volume of poems). His biography is not included in Qing shi gao (Draft of history of the Qing dynasty). However, a biography, written by Chen Pu, entitled Li bu yuan wai lang Li jun mu zhi ming (Epitaph of Gentleman Li, Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel), can be found in juan 12 of Bei zhuan ji san pian (Supplement to the collected inscriptions of biographies of Qing dynasty). The copy of Han Xiyu tu kao presented here has seven juan and a preliminary juan of 14 explanatory notes. On the first page is the title, handwritten by Chen Li (1810-82), a philosopher and scholar of Guangdong, and the date, in smaller characters: September, the ninth year (1870) of the Tongzhi reign. On the title page verso is the imprint of the publisher: printed by Fuwenzhai, West Lake Street, Yuedong (present-day Guangzhou) in the ninth year of Tongzhi. The explanatory notes and the table of contents follow. There are 11 pages of maps, containing two groups each with four maps, depicting the world atlas (two pages) and the Western Regions. The maps were larger than the text, so the collector had the volumes bound with the maps folded. In the central column of each page is the title, followed by the juan number and page number. Juan 1 is the introduction. Juan 2 is a historical survey of the states south of the Tian Shan Mountains. Juan 3 discusses the states north of Tian Shan. Juan 4 includes a chart of the Xinjiang military stations. Juan 5 is a chronological survey of the countries in the Pamir Plateau region, such as India and Kashmir. Juan 6 describes the countries west of the Pamir Plateau, such as the ancient Central Asian kingdoms Kangju and Yancai. Juan 7 contains appendices, including sections of Fo guo ji (Travel to the Buddhist countries) by the Buddhist monk Faxian (337-422), Da Tang Xiyu ji (Great Tang records on the Western Regions), by monk Bianji of Tang, and Xi shi ji (Records of an envoy to the West) by Liu Yu of Yuan. Although this work is a compilation of ancient records, the material was skillfully selected and assembled, with topics well integrated. The prefaces, table of contents, maps, and juan 1 are presented here.