Kuàijī tǔdì jì 會稽土地記
Land Records of Kuaiji by 賀循 (Hè Xún, 260–319 CE, zì Yànxiān 彥先) — zhuàn 撰
About the work
A fragmentary geographic record of the Kuàijī 會稽 region (modern Shaoxing, Zhejiang), attributed to Hè Xún 賀循 (260–319 CE), one of the preeminent scholar-officials of the Eastern Jin transition. He served as Administrator of Kuaiji (會稽內史) and opened the Xīxīng Canal 西興運河. The Suí shū · Jīngjí zhì records a Kuàijī jì 會稽記 (1 juàn) by Hè Xún, which may be identical with or closely related to this Tǔdì jì. This text should be distinguished from the 《會稽記》 (KR2k0171 and KR2k0192), probably by a different author.
Abstract
The surviving fragments explain two place names in the Kuaiji region:
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Shānyīn 山陰 (the principal county of Kuaiji, modern Shaoxing): “The township is in the mountain’s shade (mountain + yin [北面]) — hence it takes the name.” The note cites the traditional etymology: shān yīn 山陰 means “the north face of the mountain,” and Shānyīn county takes its name from its situation on the northern (shaded) slopes of the Kuaiji ranges.
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Shān Cháng 山長 (Long Mountain, or perhaps a county name): “The mountain runs in a long, undulating line — the county takes its name from the mountain.” The note is cited from the 《世說新語·言語篇》 commentary.
These fragments represent the documentary base for the local etymological tradition of Kuaiji place names, which was an important scholarly topic in Eastern Jin culture given the region’s centrality to the Jin exile court’s intellectual and social world. The Kuàijī tǔdì jì is a minor source in the tradition of Kuaiji geographic writing that includes the larger 《會稽記》 and later works like the 《嘉泰會稽志》 (Song dynasty).
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.
Links
- ctext.org search: https://ctext.org/search.pl?if=en&search=會稽土地記