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Xiyu yiwen 西域遺聞

Dec 15, 2019 © Ulrich Theobald

Xiyu yiwen 西域遺聞 "Hearsay about the western regions" is a geographical treatise written by Chen Kesheng 陳克繩 (jinshi degree 1733). He was sub-prefectural magistrate (tongzhi 同知) of Dartsedo (Ch. Dajianlu 打箭爐, modern Kangding 康定, Sichuan), a border city on the mountain road from Chengdu, Sichuan, to Tibet, and later circuit intendant (daotai 道臺) of Eastern Sichuan.

Based on this experience he wrote this private geography on the eastern fringes of Sichuan. It is divided into 11 short chapters describing Tibet and Eastern Tibet, Buddhism, the political system, customs and habits, local products, the various tribes in and around Tibet, kingdoms of the circuit of Jianchang 建昌 (western Sichuan). The book was written based on personal observations, but also on written sources. It is a very important source for the Chinese perception of Tibetan Buddhism and the local population.

Sources:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, ed. (1996). Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典 (Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe), Vol. 1, 1417.
Wang Zhaoming 王兆明, Fu Langyun 傅朗云, ed. (1991). Zhonghua gu wenxian xa dician 中華古文獻大辭典, Vol. Dili 地理卷 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 122.
Zhao Xinyu 趙心愚 (2012). "Qianlong Xiyu yiwen de bianzhuan ji qi quexian, jiazhi 乾隆《西域遺聞》的編撰及其缺陷、價值", Xinan Minzu Daxue xuabao (Renwen shehui kexue ban) 西南民族大學學報(人文社會科學版), 2012 (11).
Zhao Xinyu 趙心愚 (2013). "Qianlong Xiyu yiwen ziliao de gan zhuyao laiyuan 乾隆《西域遺聞》資料的三個主要來源", Minzu yanjiu 民族研究, 2013 (1).