Tàipíng guangjì
Encyclopedia
The Extensive Records of the Taiping Era is a collection of stories compiled under the editorship of Li Fang
, first published in 978
. The book is divided into 500 volumes (juan 卷) and consists of about 3 million words (or, Chinese characters). It is a collection of about seven thousand stories that were selected from over three hundred books and novels from the Han Dynasty
to the early Song Dynasty
, many of which have long been lost. Some stories are historical or naturalistic anecdotes, each is replete with a historical elements, and qualify as fiction, but the topics are mostly supernatural, about Buddhist and Daoist priests, immortals, ghosts, and various deities. They include a number of Tang
stories that are famous works of literature in their own right, and also inspired later works.
Li Fang
Li Fang , courtesy name Mingyuan , was a Chinese scholar, compiler and prime minister from the Song Dynasty known for his leading in the compilation for the three of the Four Great Books of Song. He was born in what is now Hengshui, Hebei and once served the Later Han and Later Zhou....
, first published in 978
978
Year 978 was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Julian calendar.- Europe :* Badìa Fiorentina, an abbey in Florence, Italy, is founded by Willa, Margravine of Tuscany....
. The book is divided into 500 volumes (juan 卷) and consists of about 3 million words (or, Chinese characters). It is a collection of about seven thousand stories that were selected from over three hundred books and novels from the Han Dynasty
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
to the early Song Dynasty
Song Dynasty
The Song Dynasty was a ruling dynasty in China between 960 and 1279; it succeeded the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period, and was followed by the Yuan Dynasty. It was the first government in world history to issue banknotes or paper money, and the first Chinese government to establish a...
, many of which have long been lost. Some stories are historical or naturalistic anecdotes, each is replete with a historical elements, and qualify as fiction, but the topics are mostly supernatural, about Buddhist and Daoist priests, immortals, ghosts, and various deities. They include a number of Tang
Tang Dynasty
The Tang Dynasty was an imperial dynasty of China preceded by the Sui Dynasty and followed by the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms Period. It was founded by the Li family, who seized power during the decline and collapse of the Sui Empire...
stories that are famous works of literature in their own right, and also inspired later works.