Yǒngjiā jùn jì 永嘉郡記
Records of Yongjia Commandery by 鄭輯之 (Zhèng Jízhi, fl. Liu Song dynasty, 5th century CE) — zhuàn 撰
About the work
A fragmentary geographic record of Yǒngjiā 永嘉 Commandery (modern Wenzhou, Zhejiang), by Zhèng Jízhi 鄭輯之 of the Liu Song dynasty. This work is sometimes confused with a Yǒngjiā jùn jì attributed to Xiè Língyùn 謝靈運, but modern scholarship holds that Zhèng Jízhi is the correct author. The text is organized into named sections corresponding to local topics. The surviving fragments document the landscape, flora, and cultural associations of the Yongjia region, a mountainous coastal territory celebrated in Liu Song literary culture through Xie Lingyun’s poetry.
Abstract
The surviving passages, organized by section title, cover:
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Three-Origin Bay 三原灣 (Sān Yuán Wān): “Yuèchéng county’s Three-Origin Pavilion is 120 lǐ from the commandery seat; the stream water is clear as a mirror. Once someone obtained a dead catfish, its spine fin alone was five or six spans around — a single spine-fin yielded dozens of hú of preserved fish. ‘This bay can hold anything’ became a common saying for ‘capacious’.”
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Bamboo Green 竹青 (Zhú Qīng): “Qīngtián county has a plant whose leaves resemble bamboo; it can be used to dye blue-green, and is named Bamboo Green 竹青. The land is rich in this herb, hence the name Qīngtián 青田 (Green Field).” An etymological note on the county name.
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Blue-Field Cranes 青田鶴 (Qīngtián Hè): “At a sandy stream site nine lǐ from Qingtian [Muddy River?], there are twin white cranes who lay eggs each year; when the chicks grow they leave, leaving only one parent behind at all times. They are pure white and lovely; many say they are raised by immortals; the Fúqiū gōng xiāng hè jīng 浮丘公相鶴經 mentions the cranes of Qingtian.” An important early source for the white crane tradition at Qingtian, later associated with the famous Qīngtián stone (a green soapstone used for seals).
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Bamboo Hermit 竹中高士 (Zhú zhōng gāoshì): “A Lèchéng man named Zhāng Zhì 張廌 lived as a recluse in his garden of dozens of qǐng of bitter bamboo; he built a hut inside the bamboo and always stayed there. When Wáng Yòujūn 王右軍 (Wáng Xīzhī 王羲之) heard of him and visited, Zhāng evaded into the bamboo and would not meet him. The commandery called him ‘High Scholar of the Bamboo’.” A precious biographical note on an otherwise unrecorded hermit who refused to meet Wang Xizhi, the most famous calligrapher of the Eastern Jin.
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Official Pear 官梨 (Guān Lí): “The village people of Qingtian grow many pear trees, called ‘Official Pear.’ The fruit is one wéi five inches around; they are regularly presented as tribute and called ‘Imperial Pears.’ Officials supervise and guard them. Local people who have never tasted them: when the fruit falls to the ground it immediately dissolves into juice.” A note on tribute agriculture and an exceptional variety of pear.
Translations and research
No substantial secondary literature located.
Links
- ctext.org search: https://ctext.org/search.pl?if=en&search=永嘉郡記