Yi Jian Zhi Xuan

Record of the Listener (Yijian zhi) is a renowned zhiguai collection from the Song Dynasty written by Hong Mai during his later years. Recording stories of the strange circulated by word of mouth, it is the largest zhiguai compliation of the Song period-originally comprising 420 chapters. Its rich content includes topics such as gods and ghosts, injustice and retribution, fantasy and the uncanny, as well as regional customs. The Record of the Listener has enjoyed a privileged place in Chinese literary history; indeed, numerous vernacular short stories and dramas have sought inspiration from its storylines. It also preserves much precious research material on daily life during the Song.