Old Tales of the Martial World

Old Tales of Wulin is a miscellany written by Zhou Mi in the late Song and early Yuan dynasties. Completed before the twenty-seventh year of the Zhiyuan era under the Yuan dynasty (1290), it was written to preserve memories of Lin’an, the Southern Song capital. The work comprises ten volumes.

Following the principle that “writing should prize factual records,” the author drew on what he had seen and heard, as well as notes from older books, to give detailed accounts of court ceremonies, local geography and customs, markets and commerce, seasonal sights, and theatrical and musical performances. It provides a wealth of historical material for understanding the urban economy and culture, the lives of ordinary people, the appearance of the capital, and court rituals during the Southern Song dynasty.