Lai Sin-hung

Abstract

The reviews and evaluations of Tang Song Congshu (The Collectanea of the Tang and Song Dynasties) have diverged considerably since the Qing Dynasty, particularly the differentiation between the authentic and spurious versions, which concerned the publishers’ rearrangement of the slips. There have been two versions of Tang Song Congshu passed down to date. The first is the complete version, a comprehensive compilation of 90 kinds of book a

mong which two titles were missing in its table of contents, or 93 kinds if the four books included in Yilin is considered. The second is the abridged version. Most of its copies contained the term “Jingde Pavilion Collection” in its title. Reorganizing the early version of Shuofu, the abridged version replaced some books and added some shortened ones although its contents overlapped with the complete version. Both versions contained 20 kinds of books published during the Han and Wei Dynasties, from which we may infer that Tang Song Congshu was compiled by reference to Guang Han-Wei Congshu. Previously, scholars were unaware of the difference in contents between the two versions, hence widespread confusion. This article seeks to explain the continuity and peculiarity of the two versions by comparing their respective arrangements of contents and assessing the value of the books they included, thereby providing an alternative source of reference for scholars who are interested in Tang Song Congshu.

Keyword:Tang Song Congshu, Zhong Renjie,bibliology, Rearranged version of Shuo fu,Complete and Abridged Versions