Yingyai Shenglan

A page from Ming dynasty woodcut printed edition of Yingyai Shenglan

The Yingyai Shenglan (瀛涯胜览), written by Ma Huan, is a book about the countries visited by him over the course of Zheng He's treasure voyages.

There is no known extant version of the original Yingyai Shenglan.[1] However, copies of Ma's work have been preserved, even though these copies contain differences due to later editors.[2] These include the Jilu Huibian [紀錄彙編] version (1617),[lower-alpha 1] the Guochao Diangu [國朝典故] version (between 1451 and 1644),[lower-alpha 2] the Shengchao Yishi [勝朝遺事] version (1824),[lower-alpha 3] and Zhang Sheng's so-called "rifacimento" (1522).[lower-alpha 4]

Ma served as an interpreter on the fourth, sixth, and seventh voyage.[5][6] Guo Chongli was Ma's collaborator on the Yingyai Shenglan.[7] He personally participated in three of the expeditions.[7] These two gentlemen recorded their observations in notes, which were used to compose the Yingyai Shenglan.[7]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ It was published in chapter 62 of the Jilu Huibian.[1]
  2. ↑ It was published in chapter 106 of the Guochao Diangu.[3]
  3. ↑ It was published in chapter 1 of the Shengchao Yishi[4]
  4. ↑ It was first published in 1522, posthumously. It was also published in chapter 63 of the Jilu Huibian. Zhang Sheng completely rewrote the Yingyai Shenglan into a literary style of composition, while Ma Huan had originally written it in a colloquial style.[4]

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Mills 1970, p. 37.
  2. ↑ Mills 1970, pp. 37–40.
  3. ↑ Mills 1970, 39.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 Mills 1970, p. 38.
  5. ↑ Mills 1970, p. 35.
  6. ↑ Dreyer 2007, pp. 6–7.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 Mills 1970, p. 55.

Reference works