明末北京城市筆記與都城文化記憶——以《帝京景物略》的創作、評論、傳播為中心

Urban Miscellany of Late-Ming Beijing and the Cultural Memory of the Capital: Centering on the Creation, Commentation, and Circulation of A Sketch of Sites and Objects in the Imperial Capital

1635年出版的《帝京景物略》是記敘北京歷史文化的重要城市筆記。它由明末文人獨立完成，系統記錄城市名勝史跡、風俗物產，是明代規模最大、成書最晚的作品。此書以深幽孤峭、冷峻奇詭的文風享譽後世文壇，被尊為明清小品文之經典。考察北京城特殊政治地理區位及作者寫作動機和過程，可見《帝京景物略》綜合城市史料與散文文學的雙重性質，體現王朝末年文學創作與史學書寫的結合。晚明作者通過改寫奇跡異聞回顧王朝歷史，同時傳達對現實的批判和對末世的擔憂。但在明末以降至20世紀的流傳過程中，後世評論者從自身所處的歷史政治背景出發，重塑文本形態，闡釋文本意義，在此過程中，都城文化記憶和晚明作者的歷史批判意識被淡化，該書文本性質轉化成今人熟悉的「小品美文」。

Published in 1635, A Sketch of Sites and Objects in the Imperial Capital is one of the most important urban miscellanies from late imperial China, recording the history and culture of Beijing. Written by scholars without governmental sponsorship, it systematically records the capital’s famous scenic and historical sites, social customs, and local products. It was the largest and latest work on Beijing published in the Ming dynasty. The book enjoyed great reputation in the literary world for its densely poetic style and was later venerated as the classic of Ming-Qing “vignette” (xiaopin) literature. After examining the special geo-political position of Beijing as well as the authors’ motivation and the writing process, it becomes clear that A Sketch of Sites and Objects in the Imperial Capital has the dual quality of historical material and prose literature, showcasing the convergence of literary creation and historical writing in the concluding years of one dynasty. The authors of A Sketch of Sites and Objects in the Imperial Capital reviewed dynastic history through adapting and rewriting strange tales, and in the meantime, expressed their critique on reality and the anxiety over the future. However, during the circulation of the book from the late Ming onward, its later critics reshaped the form and reinterpreted the meaning of the text, based on their own contexts. Thus, the cultural memory of the capital and the authors’ critical voices on history faded. The book was finally transformed into “vignette,” familiar to contemporary readers.