Research On Geographical Customs From 《Han Shu·Geography》

Every empire from each dynasty held customs in very high regard. Custom can be defined as a specific aspect of life that is passed from one generation to the next without change; it is a mirror which reflects the spiritual and developmental periods throughout history. It is an inheritance created by humans through stability. From this perspective, we can see that customs exists through human existence.Ancient people in our country noted the importance of geography long ago. The ancient Book of Changes from4B.C. can prove the truth that ancient people valued geography, yet the geographical divides of Pre-Qin dynasties were not perfect. There is not one book from the Pre-Qin dynasties containing only geographical data. The period of the Qin Dynasty was not long. This dynasty contributed little to geography and the research of customs. However, during the Han Dynasty, research on various customs was at its highest, as was the control and power of the empire. The government of the Han Dynasty produced a book called Han Shu· Geography, which emphasizes specific customs that ought to be passed down throughout the years. This is the first book in which the government gathered numerous experts to write, which in turn made it the most thorough book available. This book contained many insights about customs by focusing on valuable objects from that time.This essay focuses on information about certain customs gathered from various geography books dating from the Pre-Qin dynasty to the later and former Han Dynasties. It seeks to describe and verify the various customs from that time. Finally, it seeks to research and explain the geographical books from the Wei-Jin Dynasty as well as the Northern and Southern Dynasties, and seeks to point out both the changes and their causes that have occurred since then.