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The Taiping guangji 太平廣記 "Extensive Records of the Taiping [xingguo] reign (976-983)" is a large collection of supernatural events throughout ancient history. It is one of the so-called "four large books" (Song si da shu 宋四大書) of the Northern Song 北宋 (960-1126). It was compiled upon imperial order by Li Fang 李昉, Hu Meng 扈蒙, Li Mu 李穆 and other members of the imperial academy during the years 977 and 978.
In 981 it was submitted to the throne. It was preserved in the library in the Taiqing Hall 太清樓. The first print was done three years later. The encyclopedia is 500 juan "scrolls" long. The more than 7,000 stories, arranged in 92 parts covering 1,500 topics, were taken from inofficial histories, collections of biographies, Buddhist and Daoist writings, and so on, more than 400 books in total, probably as much as 526. A Ming period 明 (1368-1644) index only speaks of 343 books, which is not correct. Unfortunately the indications where the quotations are taken from were of a quite bad quality in the original book and had to be amended.
The different stories are arranged in 92 topics and 150 articles. Stories of strange events (zhiguai 志怪, chuanqi 傳奇) occupy the largest part of the Taiping guangji. Traditionally the stories were categorized as "novellas" or "short stories" (xiaoshuo 小説). Indeed a lot of these stories were so widespread that they later found their way into theatre plays and romances.
The oldest prints are only preserved in fragments of very bad quality. A Ming period print from 1566 is preserved which was made by Tan Kai 談愷 based on a manuscript version. The most widespread version is based on Wang Shaoying's 王紹楹 edition which was republished in 1956 by the Remin wenxue press 人民文學出版社 and in 1961 by the Zhonghua shuju press 中華書局. In 1996 the Yuelu press 岳麓書社 published another modern edition.
Taiping guangji chao 太平廣記鈔
The Taiping guangji chao 太平廣記鈔 is a collection of short stories compiled by the Ming period 明 (1368-1644) novelist Feng Menglong 馮夢龍. The short stories are excerpts from the Song period 宋 (960-1279) encyclopedia Taiping guangji. The excerpt is 80 juan "scrolls" long and includes more than 2,500 stories. Feng abridged some stories, eliminated redundant tales and reduced the categories of the 500 juan long original to 29.
Sources:
Cheng Yizhong 程毅中 (1992). "Taiping guangji 太平廣記", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 2, p. 1071. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
Zhao Hankun 趙含坤 (2005). Zhongguo leishu 中國類書, pp. 77-79, 290-291. Shijiazhuang: Hebei renmin chubanshe.
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1.-55. 神仙 Shenxian Male fairies 1-55
56.-70. 女仙 Nüxian Female fairies 1-15
71.-75. 道術 Daoshu Daoist masters 1-5
76.-80. 方士 Fangshi Magicians 1-5
81.-86. 異人 Yiren Extraordinary persons 1-6
87.-98. 異僧 Yiseng Extraordinary monks 1-12
99.-101. 釋證 Shizheng Buddhist revelations 1-3
102.-134. 報應 Baoying 1-33
135.-145. 征應 Zhengying (帝王休證 diwang xiuzheng, 人臣休證 renchen xiuzheng, 邦國啟證 bangguo qizheng, and 人臣啟證 renchen qizheng) 1-11
146.-160. 定數 Dingshu (app. hunyin 婚姻) 1-15
161.-162. 感應 Ganying 1-2
163. 讖應 Chenying
164. 名賢 Mingxian (app. 諷諫 fengjian)
165. 廉儉 Lianjian (app. 吝嗇 linse)
166.-168. 氣義 Qiyi 1-3
169.-170. 知人 Zhiren 1-2
171.-172. 精察 Jingcha 1-2
173.-174. 俊辯 Junbian 1-2
175. 幼敏 Youmin
176.-177. 器量 Qiliang 1-2
178.-184. 貢舉 Gongju (app. 代族 daizu) 1-7
185.-186. 銓選 Quanxuan 1-2
187. 職官 Zhiguan
188. 權倖 Quanxing
189.-190. 將帥 Jiangshuai (app. 雜譎智 zajuezhi) 1-2
191.-192. 驍勇 Xiaoyong 1-2
193.-196. 豪俠 Haoxia 1-4
197. 博物 Bowu
198.-200. 文章 Wenzhang 1-3
201. 才名 Caiming (app. 好尚 haoshang),
202. 儒行 Ruxing (app. 怜才 lingcai and 高逸 gaoyi)
203.-205. 樂 Yue 1-3
206.-209. 書 Shu 1-4,
210.-214. 畫 Hua 1-5
215. 算術 Suanshu
216.-217. 卜筮 Bushi 1-2
218.-220. 醫 Yi 1-3
221.-224. 相 Xiang 1-4
225.-227. 伎巧 Qiqiao (app. 絕藝 jueyi) 1-3
228. 博戲 Boxi
229.-232. 器玩 Qiwan 1-4
233. 酒 Jiu (app. 酒量 jiuliang and 嗜酒 shijiu)
234. 食 Shi (app. 能食 nengshi and 菲食 feishi)
235. 交友 Jiaoyou
236.-237. 奢侈 Shechi 1-2
238. 詭詐 Guizha
239.-241. 諂佞 Channing 1-3
242. 謬誤 Miuwu (app. 遺忘 yiwang)
243. 治生 Zhisheng (app. 貪 tan)
244. 褊急 Bianji
245.-252. 詼諧 Huixie 1-8
253.-257. 嘲誚 Chaoqiao 1-5
258.-262. 嗤鄙 Chibi 1-5
263.-264. 無賴 Wulai 1-2
265.-266. 輕薄 Qingbao 1-2
267.-269. 酷暴 Kubao 1-3
270.-273. 婦人 Furen Women (app. 妓女 jinü) 1-4
274. 情感 Qinggan
275. 童僕 Tongpu Slaves (app. 奴婢 nubi)
276.-282. 夢 Meng Dreams (= 鬼神 guishen I) 1-7
283. 巫 Wu Sorcerers (app. 厭咒 yanzhou)
284.-287. 幻術 Huanshu 1-4
288.-290. 妖妄 Yaowang 1-3
291.-315. 神 Shen Gods (app. 淫祠 yinci) 1-25
316.-355. 鬼 Gui Ghosts 1-40
356.-357. 夜叉 Yecha XXX 1-2
358. 神魂 Shenhun Souls
359.-367. 妖怪 Yaoguai Demons (app. 人妖 renyao) 1-9
368.-373. 精怪 Jingguai Spirits 1-6
374. 靈異 Lingyi Souls
375.-386. 再生 Zaisheng Rebirths 1-12
387.-388. 悟前生 Wuqiansheng Remembrance of former lives 1-2
389.-390. 冢墓 Zhongmu Tombs 1-2
391.-392. 銘記 Mingji Inscriptions 1-2
393.-395. 雷 Lei Thunder 1-3
396. 雨 Yu Rain (app. 風虹 fenghong)
397. 山 Shan Mountains (app. 溪 qi)
398. 石 Shi Stones (app. 坡沙 posha)
399. 水 Xhui Water (app. 井 jing)
400.-405. 寶 Bao Jewels (app. 金玉 jinyu, 錢 qian and 奇物 qiwu) 1-6
406.-417. 草木 Caomu Herbs and trees (app. 文理木 wenlimu, 五穀 wugu, and 茶 cha) 1-12
418.-425. 龍 Long 1-8
426.-433. 虎 Hu Tigers 1-8
434.-446. 畜獸 Chushou Domestic animals and beasts 1-13
447.-455. 狐 Hu Foxes 1-9
456.-459. 蛇 She Snakes 1-4
460.-463. 禽鳥 Qinniao Birds 1-4
464.-472. 水族 Shuizu Aquatic animals 1-9 (app. 龜 gui turtles)
473.-479. 昆虫 Kunchong Worms and insects 1-7
480.-483. 蠻夷 Manyi Barbarians 1-4
484.-492. 雜傳記 Zazhuanji Miscellaneous biographies 1-9
493.-500. 雜錄 Zalu Miscellaneous records 1-8
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Exemplarious translation:
11.＜神仙＞11.＜泰山老父＞
泰山老父者，莫知姓字。漢武帝東巡狩，見老翁鋤於道旁。頭上白光高數尺。怪而問之。 老人狀如五十許人，面有童子之色，肌膚光華，不與俗同。帝問有何道術。對曰：「臣年八十五時，衰老垂死，頭白齒落。遇有道者，教臣絕穀，但服術飲水。并作神枕，枕中有三十二物。其三十二物中，有二十四物以當二十四氣，八毒以應八風。 臣行之，轉老為少，黑髮更生，齒落復出，日行三百里。臣今一百八十歲矣。」帝受其方，賜玉帛。老父後入岱山中。每十年五年，時還鄉里。三百餘年，乃不復還。
Fairies: The Old Father from Taishan Mountain (also recorded in Ge Hong's 葛洪 (d. 343) Shenxianzhuan 神仙傳 "Biographies of Fairies")
Nobody knows the real name of the Old Father from Taishan Mountain. When emperor Han Wudi the Martial (r. 140-87 BC) came along during an hunting travel, he saw an old man working with a hoe besides the way. Over his head was a white gleam, several feet high. The emperor asked what wonderful event that could be. When the old man looked up, he seemed to be some fifty years old, but his face was fresh like that of a small boy, with a smooth and sleek skin. Again, the emperor asked and wanted to know what magic the old man used to look like this. The man said: "I am eighty-five years old, I am already weak and I will die soon, my hair is white and I have lost all my teeth. Once I met somebody experienced with magic, and he told me, to give up eating grain. I should better eat podophyllum and drink pure water. And he made me a magic pillar, containing thirty-two things. Twenty-four of these things corresponded with the Twenty-four Vapours, and the other eight poisons corresponded to the Eight Diseases. Following his advices, my aging became slower, black hair came out again, my teeth grow once more, and I was able to walk three hundred miles a day. I am now one hundred and eighty years old." The emperor got his receipt and bestowed him many jade and silk. Later, the old man went into the Taishan (Daishan) mountains. Every five or ten years, he came back to his home village, but more than three hundred years later, he did never come back again.
Translated by Ulrich Theobald.
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Chinese literature according to the four-category system
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