Du Shi Fang Yu Ji Yao (Summary of Historical Geography Reading)

This was a renowned historical geography book from the Qing Dynasty that was written by Zuyu Gu. It had 130 volumes, including four volumes of maps, and it is estimated to have been completed before 1692. Zuyu Gu (1631–1692), a native of Wuxi City, Jiangsu Province, was a historical geographer during the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, feeling extremely indignant and grief-stricken, he lived in solitude and engaged in writing for over 30 years, from 1659 until his death. He wrote this book by making references to the twenty-one dynasty history books (histories of different Chinese dynasties written by official government historians) and more than a hundred local chronicles. The content mainly describes the territories, histories, famous mountains, major rivers, customs, and historical relics of each administrative region of the late Ming Dynasty and early Qing Dynasty (approximately 1600–1700). It is an important document for studying the...