Records of Traveling to Sichuan
In 1738, Ni Shimeng was ordered to serve as the chief examination official of the Sichuan provincial exam, a period which is chronicled in his Records of Traveling to Sichuan. Its contents cover the majority of the official travel: leaving the capital on the third day of the sixth month, including details on the procession of horses, sedan chairs, as well as the number and allocation of employed laborers; time spent in Chengdu from their arrival on the first day of the eighth month to the announcement of successful candidates on the first day of the ninth month; detailed account of the work carried out the exam affairs; and finally, entire return journey to Beijing in the eleventh month. Fascinatingly, chief examination officials were stipulated by the court: “One must not travel idly or be received by others on the journey, and must not be received by the supervising officials or welcomed into their residences”; however, the social engagements between examination and local officials were frequent—if not essential. Moreover, Records of Traveling to Sichuan details the meeting and exchanging of poetry between old acquaintances, as well as certain scenic sites and local customs which he had encountered, as found in his poems. This work is thus as much of a source on social networks as it is a travel writing, painting a realistic picture of one official’s travels for the imperial examination system.
- Item No.
- A 847.4 528 v.1-2
- Notes
- Written by Ni Shimeng (1683–1745)
