An Ethnographic Textual Analysis of Xiyu Wenjian Lu

JOURNAL OF ETHNOLOGY， VOL. 15， NO.03， 122-128， 2024 （CN51-1731/C， in Chinese）

DOI：10.3969/j.issn.1674-9391.2024.03.014

Abstract：

Research and discussions on Xiyu Wenjian Lu （Record of Things Seen and Heard in the Western Regions） — a private work containing historical and geographical insights into the Qing dynasty’s western regions — have proliferated extensively over an extended period. However， scholarly attention has been less focused on its textual value. What factors contributed to the widespread dissemination， replication， and subsequent popularity of this text， to the extent that it became a “secret treasure hidden in a pillow” of the Qing officials who were going to the Western Regions？ This paper uses both historical and anthropological research methods to reassess the textual features of Xiyu Wenjian Lu as an ethnography. Through this analytical lens， it aims to explain the writing purpose of the author Qi-Shi-Yi， as well as the compositional logic and organizational framework used in its compilation.

Research found that the author Qi-Shi-Yi was acutely aware of the prevailing trend of his times ： Scholar-officials generally yearned for knowledge of the western regions but lacked pertinent literary sources following the Qing Dynasty’s unification of the Western Regions. In the book’s preface， author Qi-Shi-Yi said he aimed at enriching the understanding of the Qing’s western regions among scholar-officials based on his solid field investigations， thereby supplementing the lack of details found in earlier Chinese historical records pertaining to this peripheral region. In addition， he successfully shaped a vivid portrayal of “Being There” just like a modern anthropologist， and the subsequent process of dissemination and replication of his work played a pivotal role in cementing the authority of his narrative. From then on the structural coherence and thematic consistency evident in the composition of this book facilitated a comprehensive and consonant description of the western regions through a structure of the chapters closely integrated with the author’s route， affording readers a panoramic view of the landscapes and peoples encountered along the way from Jiayuguan westward. Accounts also suggest the author provided various details of the commerce and trade， military and government establishments， historical change， classification of ethnic groups， and socio-cultural practices. Through using delicate strokes， the text penetrates into the daily lives of the region’s inhabitants， portraying a nuanced understanding that balances objectivity with the writer’s own view by presenting the descriptive accounts and the commentaries separately. In terms of compilation style， Xiyu Wenjian Lu exhibits a comprehensive yet comparably unremarkable degree of categorical subdivision when compared with contemporaneous official books. However， its innovative layout of the Ji Zhuan Ti chorography format， which intertwines historical and geographical elements through a series of biographical sketches， yields a cohesive portrayal of diachronic and synchronic dimensions. By synthesizing space and time into an indivisible whole， the text presents a holistic description of the dynamics of cultural change. This narrative strategy， using Liezhuan （collected biographies）， Jishibenmo （chronological summaries）， Jilue （brief notes）， Ji （records）， and Biao （tabular presentations）， constructs a realistic representation of the complex socio-cultural milieu.

To sum up， the above textual ethnographical traits make Xiyu Wenjian Lu present rich connotations of multi-ethnic culture of the High Qing’s western regions. Its enduring significance in the diverse language world lies in its ability to encapsulate the age-old， expansive， and changeable characteristics of traditional Chinese culture， while concurrently widely affected the Qing’s scholar-bureaucrats cognition of the western regions， fostering inter-ethnic communication， integration， and the development of a unified and multiethnic China.

Key Words：

Xiyu Wenjian Lu; the Western Regions of the Qing Dynasty; textual analysis of ethnography; interpretive anthropology