Gu Yanwu (also known by his art name Tinglin ()) was a 17th-century Chinese scholar, active during the transition from the Ming dynasty to the Qing dynasty. Born in Qiandun in what is now Jiangsu, he abandoned a career as a scholar-official after repeatedly failing to progress through the imperial examination system. Following the Manchu conquest, Gu destroyed his poetry compositions and took to wandering across northern China, where he collected a substantial quantity of historical documents and local gazetteers (geographic directories). He wrote many books, essays, and poems during his travels.
Only two of Gu's works, the and the first edition of the , were published during his lifetime, although the latter was greatly expanded in a posthumous edition published by his student Pan Lei. Many of his works were lost after his death, while others survived only as manuscripts and never saw proper publication. Pan collected some of his poems and letters and published them for the first time in the collection ().
Several existing manuscripts which collected his letters, essays, and poems were included in the (), published by Zhonghua Books in 1959. Gu's longest work was (), a collection of historical and local documents totaling 120 (a unit roughly equivalent to a chapter).
Works by Gu Yanwu + Title Translation Length (in ) Description On the Benefits and Faults of the Empire's Local Administration120A large collection of historical documents and local records gathered by Gu during his travels across China, including additional information from his first-hand observations. In the work, Gu outlines the economic and political history of various Ming institutions, noting their decline over the course of the dynasty. Annals of Geography100A wide collection of notes gathered from local gazetteers and dynastic histories during Gu's research for the , recording the historical geography of different regions in China prior to the Ming dynastyFive Books on Phonology38An analysis of the phonology of Old Chinese as it was spoken at the time of the compilation of the Confucian classics. Gu adapts the phonological method of the Ming writer Chen Di to dispute modern readings of classical poetry. It was published in 1667.Records of Daily Knowledge32A large compilation of Gu's daily notes on statecraft, history, philosophy, and literature. It was first published as an 8- book in 1670, but was later expanded to 32 in a posthumous 1695 edition. As academic discussion became more widely permitted in the 1830s, an edition containing additional commentaries was published by in 1834. A purportedly older version was discovered by the revolutionary Zhang Ji in the 1930s and published in the 1950s, although its authenticity is a matter of scholarly debate.Record of the Emperor's Residences Through History20An examination of the cities, palaces, capitals, monasteries, and temples throughout different dynasties. It was completed near the end of Gu's life, but only published in 1808.Annotated Poems of Gu Tinglin17An annotated collection of Gu's poetry compiled by Xu Jia () and first printed in 1897Treatise on Statecraft 7An obscure unpublished treatise which purportedly served as a guide to the imperial examination systemNotes on Epigraphic Inscriptions6A study and commentary of over three hundred post-Han stone inscriptions compiled by Gu during his travels, based on the epigraphic methods of Ouyang Xiu and Zhao Mingcheng. It was printed by Gu's apprentice Pan Lei in 1695 as part of the and later in the .Tinglin Anthology6A collection of Gu's essays and writings, including his political treatises written after the fall of MingCollected Poems of Tinglin5A relatively complete compilation of Gu's poetry, first published as part of the Additions to the Records of Daily Knowledge4A set of supplementary notes to the , including commentaries on calligraphy, Daoism, Buddhism, and legal restrictions. It was included with 's 1834 edition of the .Corrections to the Reading of Zuo Zhuan3A study of the errors made in the 3rd century scholar Du Yu's commentary on the Zuo ZhuanSimilarities and Differences of the Five Classics3An analysis of Song, Yuan, and Ming-era textual criticism of the Five ClassicsChangping Landscape Notes2Various notes on the geography of Changping, a region near Beijing, from Gu's observations and travelsSheng'an Records2A summary of the events following the enthronement of the Hongguang Emperor and the establishment of the Southern Ming dynastyIn Search of a Literary Style Theory1A brief account of the manner in which ancient scholars recorded names, titles, times, and seasons. Its contents were incorporated into the Tinglin Remnants 1A short collection of Gu's poetry published by Zhu Jirong ()Studies of Antiquities East of the Capital1A short record of place names and antiquities in the regions east of Beijing. All the contained material was incorporated into the and , but the text itself was later published by .Seeking the Ancient Records1A record of fifty-six stone inscriptions, commentated by Gu. They range from the Han to Ming periods.Errors in the Four Books and Five Classics1A short discussion of errors found in contemporary editions of the Confucian Four Books and Five classics, comparing them with the versions of the texts found in stone inscriptionsRhyme Corrections1A short essay written while Gu was working on the . Based on the Song scholar Wu Yu's phonological treatise , it describes errors and irregularities in ancient rhymes.A Study of the Gu Family Genealogy1A brief record of the Gu family's history and the origins of the surnameVeritable Records of the Ming Dynasty1A compilation of late Ming edicts, memorials, and dispatches. It was later included in the .Record of Shandong Antiquities1A brief summary of errors in ancient Shandong geographic and personal names. It was later included in the .Studies on the Stone Classics1A collection of textual criticisms of stone inscriptions of the Chinese classics. It was later included in the .Records of the Place Names of the Two Yingping Prefectures1An incomplete collection of historical materials relating to two prefectures () in northern ChinaLoose Notes from the Wild Rice Fields1A set of miscellaneous notes from Gu's readings which was later included in 's 1834 edition of the Miscellaneous Records1A set of miscellaneous notes later included in the Additional Writings of Tinglin1A collection of twelve of Gu's essays collected during the early 17th century and later published by the scholar Peng Shaosheng. It includes Gu's memorial for his adoptive mother.
References
Works cited