Historical Recordsthose Things

"Historical Records" is China's first biographical general history compiled by the Western Han Dynasty historian Sima Qian for more than ten years. It was praised by Lu Xun as "the historian's swan song, the rhymeless "Li Sao"", and has both historical and literary value.​ With the purpose of "studying the relationship between heaven and man, understanding the changes in the past and present, and forming a family story", the book records about three thousand years of history from the time of the Yellow Emperor to the Taichu reign of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, covering many fields such as politics, military, economy, and culture. In terms of style, it pioneered the biographical paradigm, with a total of 130 articles, including "Benji" (recording the emperor's political achievements), "Biao" (explaining the chronological context), "Shu" (describing laws and regulations), "Aristocratic Family" (recording the nobles of princes and nobles), and "Biography" (describing various characters), which laid the foundation for the compilation style of the "Twenty-Four Histories" in later generations.​ In literature, Sima Qian used concise and vivid writing to create vivid characters, such as the tragic Xiang Yu and the wise and courageous Lin Xiangru. The narrative is both powerful and emotional. To this day, it is still the core classic for the study of ancient Chinese history and culture. Its "recording" spirit and humanistic care have become a cultural treasure carrying the memory of Chinese history.