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Wuyishan zhi 武夷山志

Oct 6, 2019 © Ulrich Theobald

Wuyishan zhi 武夷山志 is a book on Mt. Wuyi in Fujian. It was written by Dong Tiangong 董天工 (1703-1771), courtesy name Dianzhai 典齋, who hailed from Chong'an 崇安, Fujian, close to the mountain area. Mt. Wuyi is famous for its tea (Bohea Tea), but also counts amont the sixteen sacred mountains of Daoism, but a Neo-Confucian school also hailed from the region, founded by Hu Anguo 胡安國 (1074-1138). The mountain area is believed to be the seat of the immortal Lord Wuyi 武夷君 and is called the Cavern Heaven of the Return to the Origin of the immortal who ascenced to perfection (Shengzhen yuanhua dongtian 升真元化洞天).

Quite a few travel reports on the Wuyi Range and the nine river bends were written during the Qing period 清 (1644-1911), namely Wuyi jisheng (anonymous), Wuyishan youji 武夷山遊記 by Zheng Gong 鄭恭, Wuyishan youji 武夷遊記 by Chen Chaoyan 陳朝儼, Wuyi youji 武夷遊記 by Lin Huo 林霍, Wuyi daoyou ji 武夷導遊記 by Monk Ruji 釋如疾, You Wuyishan ji 遊武夷山記 by Yuan Mei 袁枚 (1716-1797), You Wuyishan ji 遊武夷山記 by Hong Liangji 洪亮吉 (1746-1809) and Jiuqu youji 九曲遊記 by Lu Rou 陸葇 (1630-1699).

Dong Tiantong wrote his book of 24 juan on the base of earlier local gazetteers on the region, written by Zhong Zhisheng 衷稚生 (Zhong Zhongru 衷仲孺), Xu Dewang 徐德望, Wang Shi'an 王適庵 and Wang Caotang 王草堂. His books was finished and printed in 1751 and reprinted in 1847. It begins with 33 images of worthies, Confucians, and "immortals", and consists of 16 chapters. It provides information on the summits, cliffs, ponds and caves of the region, temples and tea gardens, and quotes from writings of famous visitors like Yang Yi 楊億 (974-1020), Zhu Xi 朱熹 (1130-1200), Cai Yuanding 蔡元定 (1135-1198), Hu Anguo or Wang Shouren 王守仁 (Wang Yangming 王陽明, 1472-1529). The author is also interested in local products like tea and bamboo, and mentions the famous monkeys used to pluck tea leaves.

Table 1. Contents of the Wuyishan zhi 武夷山志
1-3 總志 General
4 星野、形勝、祀典、敕封、九典全圖、九曲棹歌 Astronomy, geography, shrines, investitures, overview maps of the Nine Bends, songs of the rowers
5-14 九曲(附圖) The Nine River Bends (app. maps)
15 山北(附圖) North of the mountains (app. maps)
16 名賢、理學、官守、主管 Famous worthies, Neoconfucians, magistrates, administrators
17 尋勝、卜筑、隱逸 Visitors, geomancy, scholars living in seclusion
18 方外、仙佛、羽流、釋子 Daoists and Buddhists adepts, winged immortals, monks
19 古跡、雜錄、附錄、物產 Historic sites, miscellaneous records, appendix, local products
20-24 藝文 Writings
Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 1, 1085.
Wang Dake 王大可 (1984). "Lüetan zhong zhong ru xiu Wuyishan zhi de zhulu 略談衷仲孺修《武夷山志》的著錄", Guojia tushuguan xuekan 國家圖書館學刊, 1984 (7).
Wang Zhaoming 王兆明, Fu Langyun 傅朗雲, eds. (1991). Zhonghua gu wenxian da cidian 中華古文獻大辭典, Vol. Dili 地理卷 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 188.