Yídū jì 宜都記
Records of Yidu by 袁山松 (Yuán Shānsōng, also written 袁崧 Yuán Sōng, d. 401 CE) — zhuàn 撰
About the work
A fragmentary geographic record of Yídū Commandery 宜都郡 (modern western Hubei, encompassing the Three Gorges), composed by Yuán Shānsōng during his tenure as Administrator of Yidu sometime in the late fourth century CE (after 380). A longer reconstruction of Yuán’s Three Gorges text survives separately as Yuán Sōng Yídū shānchuān jì (KR2k0197).
Abstract
The short passage preserved in this KRP edition describes the experience of ascending the Three Gorges westward from Xīlíng 西陵:
“Heading upstream from Xīlíng, going west-northwest into the gorges three times. The mountains close around, winding and shadowed, seemingly cut off then opening again; the high peaks and repeated barriers are such that for half a day one cannot see sun or moon.”
This celebrated description of Xīlíng Gorge’s enclosing precipices became a prototype for later Three Gorges literature, including passages in Shèng Hóngzhī’s 盛弘之 Jīngzhōu jì 荊州記 and Lì Dàoyuán’s 酈道元 Shuǐjīng zhù 水經注. A more extensive version of Yuán’s Yidu geographic writings, incorporating materials about Qu Yuan’s homeland at Zigui and detailed gorge topography, is preserved under the slightly different title at KR2k0197.
Yuán Shānsōng (also transcribed 袁崧 Yuán Sōng) served as Administrator of Yidu (宜都太守) and was killed in 401 CE during Sun En’s 孫恩 rebellion. He was also a noted musician and literary figure of the Eastern Jin court.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.
Links
- ctext.org search: https://ctext.org/search.pl?if=en&search=宜都記