Research On Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu Editions

"Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu" compiled in six volumes is the literary work of Xu Baoguang. In June 1719 (the 58th year of Emperor Kangxi of the Qing Dynasty), Xu Baoguang, appointed as a deputy title-conferring envoy, was sent to Ryukyu by the Qing court. He stayed at Ryukyu for almost eight months and finished writing the book Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu. During his stay at Ryukyu he communicated with senior officials and scholars and to do fieldworks for improving his knowlege about this area, he also collected the literary documents about Ryukyu. Xu came back in 1720 (the 59th year of Emperor Kangxi) and based on his own knowledge and the result of the survey of his journey to Ryukyu and the requirements of Emperor Kangxi carry out a modification to his book. The official report entitled Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu was published in 1721 (the 60th year of Emperor Kangxi).This book is an account of Ryukyu an history, politics, topography, language, and customs with illustrations, describing in great detail. Xu’s first-edition became one of the most widely read, and widely regarded and remains an important historical document about Ryukyu today. The volume was later not only re-published in both 1766 (the 3rd year of Meiwa) and 1840 (the 11th year of Tempo), but was even translated by a French missionary named Antoine Gaubil(1689-1759). "Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu" affected greatly at that time and so is still a valuable source of information on Ryukyu for research in present time.In order to carry forward the study on the editions of Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu, this dissertation focuses on three aspects:firstly, according to the records of library categories and preface and postscript of it of past dynasties,and the extant library collections home and abroad,various editions of Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu are tested and verified,the print characteristics of various editions are registered in detail.Secondly, with deep investigation of various extant editions of Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu, the difference among them is collated, and the reason of which is also explored.According the results of collation, the pass-and-receive relation of various editions is discussed, and the new edition system table is arranged.Thirdly,based on the deep investigation into various editions of Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu, several important editions are generally collated, and the main differences are checked.The purpose of all the work is to complement and improve the current Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu edition collated.This dissertation is composed of two parts. The first part focuses on the description of the editions, divided into three chapters. Based on the verification of various editions, the main characteristics of various extant editions of Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu are described in detail, and the reliable edition system table is listed. Taking several main editions as a clue, the relation with its former and latter editions, and its influence on the dissemination of Zhong Shan Chuan Xin Lu, are thoroughly investigated, thus to complement the "study on editions". With supplement to the current edition, the second part of the dissertation describes the work on collation study.The former part supply the latter with edition discrimination and selection, and the latter part supply the former with proof and argument, and thus to constitute a whole dissertation.