Dōnggōng Jiùshì 東宮舊事

Old Affairs of the Eastern Palace anonymous

About the work

Dōnggōng Jiùshì 東宮舊事 is a jíyìběn reconstruction of a lost collection of anecdotes and institutional records concerning the Eastern Palace (Dōnggōng 東宮) — the residence and administrative establishment of the Crown Prince. The work recorded the customs, precedents, personnel, and material culture of the heir apparent’s court during the Jin dynasty.

Tiyao

No tiyao found in source. This is a jíyìběn reconstruction.

Abstract

The Dōnggōng was a microcosm of the imperial court, with its own bureaucracy, rituals, and sumptuary culture. The “old affairs” (jiùshì 舊事) format was a recognized bibliographic category in the Suí Shū 隋書 bibliography for collections of institutional precedents and court anecdotes. The present fragments, at over 300 lines, preserve details on the Crown Prince’s establishment: the types of furnishings and implements used, the ritual protocols observed, the officials who served, and the customs that governed daily life in the heir’s residence. Such texts were practical references for court ritualists and historians. The fragments were recovered from Táng and Sòng citations.

Translations and research

No substantial secondary literature located.