Luòyáng jì 洛陽記
Records of Luoyang by 陸機 (Lù Jī, 261–303 CE) — zhuàn 撰
About the work
A fragmentary topographic record of Luòyáng 洛陽, the Western Jin capital, composed by the poet and official Lù Jī 陸機 (261–303 CE) during his years at the Jin court. The Suí shū bibliography lists a Luòyáng jì 洛陽記 attributed to Lù Jī. The KRP text preserves a rich series of passages describing the city’s walls, palaces, towers, markets, streets, and gates. The text is an important witness to the Western Jin capital’s urban geography before its destruction during the Uprising of the Eight Princes and the Wu Hu invasions.
Abstract
The surviving passages describe the physical layout of the Western Jin capital Luoyang in considerable detail:
Walls and fortifications: The city was designed by the Duke of Zhou 周公; it measured ten lǐ east-west and thirteen lǐ north-south. The walls had towers every hundred paces; outside was a moat.
Jin Yong City 金墉城: A fortified precinct in the northwest corner of Luoyang, with a tower in the northeast corner one hundred feet high, built by Emperor Wén of Wèi 魏文帝.
Observation towers: Cloud Platform loft 雲台高閣 with fourteen bays; Wind-Riding Pavilion loft 乘風觀閣 with twelve bays.
Palatial observatories: The southern palace had the Receiving-Wind Observatory 承風觀; the northern palace the Joy-Increasing Observatory 增喜觀; outside the city the Proclaiming-Yang Observatory 宣陽觀; and towers named Qiānqiū, Hóngdì, Quánchéng, Yángwēi, Shílóu, and Dǐngzhōng.
Nine inner-palace towers: In the palace complex were nine towers (Língāo, Língyún, Xuānqū, Guǎngwàng, Lǎngfēng, Wànshì, Xiūlíng, Zǒngzhāng, Tīngsòng), each sixteen or seventeen zhàng high, with mica windows that gleamed in the sun.
Three markets: Three major markets: Great Market (main), Gold Market 金市 (west of the great city, also called Shāng Pavilion 商觀), South Market 南市 (south of the city), and Horse Market 馬市 (east of the city). The Gold Market is named for the western metal association.
Bronze Camel Street 銅駞街: Outside the Jin Horse Gate south of the palace — a famous commercial and social district. The text preserves the saying: “Outside the Golden Horse Gate gather the great worthies; on Copper Camel Street the youths congregate.”
Five passes: The five great passes of the Han Luoyang region — Western Pass 西關, Eastern Chénggāo Pass 東成皋關, Southern Yīquè Pass 南伊闕關, Western Hángu Pass 西函谷關, Northern Mèng Ford Pass 北孟津關.
Outer districts: Great Valley 大谷 fifty lǐ south of the city (old name Tōng Valley 通谷); Zǐ Wēi Palace with its Single-Pillar Observatory.
This is one of the fullest surviving descriptions of Western Jin Luoyang’s urban fabric and is a key source alongside Luòyáng qiélánjì 洛陽伽藍記 and Shuǐjīng zhù for the city’s pre-devastation topography.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.
Links
- ctext.org search: https://ctext.org/search.pl?if=en&search=洛陽記+陸機