Si Ren Ji: a Record of the Ecology of the Literati Circle

"Si Ren Ji" is a long social romance novel written by Zhang Henshui, a master of modern popular novels, which depicts the ecology of literati and ladies in Beijing in the early years of the Republic of China. This book can be regarded as a spiritual sequel to his famous work "Chunming Foreign History". Although the characters and plots are independent, it also takes "Chunming" (Beijing) as the stage, focusing on the living conditions and emotional entanglements of specific groups of people such as newspaper reporters, poets, elderly people, famous actors, and ladies. The title of the book alludes to Du Fu's line "The capital is covered with crowns, but the people here are alone and haggard", which accurately summarizes the main theme of the book. Mr. Zhang Henshui, with his delicate and expressive line drawing technique, vividly outlines the scenery and people of the old Beijing, especially the elegant gatherings and singing in the literati circle, the leisurely atmosphere and the harsh climate of the world. While showing the style of the times, it also embodies the praise of noble personality and criticism of impetuous world customs.