Researchers into China’s imperial history can tap into a rich vein of historical data for two reasons.
Firstly, Imperial China has a huge population of literati, learned in the Classics, and able to write using a script that is readable and speakable in all corners of vast China despite the many dialects spoken by the Chinese.
Secondly, since the time of the Six Dynasties period [222 to 589 AD] local scholars known as gazetteers have been tasked by the emperors to record the local history and geography of the areas they live in. These reports are used by the central government to allocate resources and to rule China.
In the Song dynasty, two innovative decisions had an impact on this recording. Firstly, it became standard to include biographies of local officials who play a big role in the region.
Secondly, a standard format for gazetteers was decided that has 25 categories of information.
This book Urbanisation in Early and Medieval China, Gazetteers for the City of Suzhou by Olivia Milburn, published in 2015, is unique as it has three gazetteers writing and describing Suzhou during the Han, Tang, and Northern Song dynasties. We thus see the evolution of Suzhou over nine centuries of calm growth, upheaval, and turmoil.
Each translation of the Chinese text is annotated and accompanied by historical context.
A book that demands slow but pleasurable reading to absorb the rich details of Suzhou.
Lwh
28 Jan 2025
Chinese New Year’s Eve.