The Jehol Diary


The Jehol Diary is a work by the Joseon dynasty silhak scholar Pak Chiwŏn, written in classical Chinese. Pak, also known by his pen name of Yŏnam, made an extensive tour of what was then the northern territory of the Chinese Qing Empire, including Shenyang, Beijing and Rehe Province, in 1780, in the company of his cousin. Pak's cousin had been dispatched to the Qing imperial court by the Joseon king Jeongjo to attend the 70th birthday celebrations of the Qianlong Emperor.
The Yŏrha Ilgi takes the form of a travelogue. However, the scope of the diary is vast, covering such disparate topics as history, customs, natural surroundings, politics, economics, and poetry. Both the scope of the work and the quality of its writing have earned it a place as a masterpiece and an important source for Chinese and Korean historians. It originally circulated in manuscript form, and was first printed as part of Pak's collected works in 1901, with another edition in 1911. A partial English translation was published in 2010 under the title The Jehol Diary.

Contents

The Yŏrha Ilgi is divided into twenty-six chapters in ten volumes. The chapter headings are as follows:
Prologue

1. Sŏnggyŏng chapji ()

This is a 15-day record from the Yalu River, which shows interest in the welfare of the use of ligature and bricks.

2. Sŏnggyŏng chapji ()

This is a five-day collection of events from Shilihe to Xiaoheishan.

3. Ilsin sup'il ()

It is a description of the area encompassing the bridge from Xin Guangning to Shanhai Pass.

4. Kwannae chŏngsa (관내정사 關內程史)

It is a record of travel from Shanhai Pass to Yanjing. In particular, it features a story about Baek-I and Sukje, and a story entitled 'Hojil'

5. Makpuk haengjŏngnok (막북행정록 漠北行程錄)

It is a five-day record from the Yanjing to Jehol.

6. T'aehak yugwannok (태학유관록 太學留館錄)

It is a discussion with Chinese scholars in Taixue about the theory of sturaculture.

7. Kuoe imun (구외이문 口外異聞)

It is sixty different stories heard outside the Old North Gate.

8. Hwanyŏn tojungnok (환연도중록 還燕道中錄)

It describes the transportation system as a six-day record that returns to Yanjing from heat.