Jianquan riji 澗泉日記

Jianquan riji 澗泉日記 "Notes from streams and springs" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) written during the Southern Song period 南宋 (1127-1279) by Han Biao 韓淲 (1159-1224), courtesy name Zhongzhi 仲止, style Jianquan 澗泉, from Yongqiu 雍丘 (today's Qixian 杞縣, Henan). He later moved to Xinzhou 信州 (Jiangxi). Han was a descendant of Han Yi 韓億 (972-1044) and a son of Minister Han Yuanji 韓元吉 (1118-1187).

His book of 3 juan length was initially lost and is not recorded in the bibliographical chapter of the dynastic history Songshi 宋史. The compilers of the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書 reconstructed the text from the Ming-period 明 (1368-1644) encyclopaedia Yongle dadian 永樂大典.

The book is not, as the title might suggest, a diary, but organized thematically, generally arranged in the sequence of historical events. It evaluates individual persons, examines classical texts, classifies poetry and prose, and records miscellaneous facts and observations of mountains, rivers, and ancient sites, totalling 198 entries. Many of the records contain anecdotes and rare stories not found in other books, and the research is detailed and precise. For example, the account of Empress Dowager Mingsu 明肅太后 (969-1033) visiting the Imperial ancestral temple in 1033 in her function as regent helps correct an error in the Shilin yanyu 石林燕語. The record of the imperial order in 1110 to Minister of Rites, Zheng Yunzhong 鄭允中, to compile the official history of the reign of Emperor Zhezong 宋哲宗 (r. 1085-1100) also fills in gaps in historical records. Other discussions in the book are also meticulously examined. The Jianquan riji is thus a valuable reference for scholars in the fields of governance, literature, and history.

The text is included in the series Siku quanshu, Wuyingdian juzheban shu 武英殿聚珍版書, Qingfentang congshu 清芬堂叢書, Lizhizhai congshu 勵志齋叢書, Shuoku 說庫, Shuofu 說郛 and Congshu jicheng chubian 叢書集成初編.