New Reflections in the Mirror: Local Chinese Gazetteers (Difangzhi) in the 1980s

The Chinese have traditionally regarded history as a mirror eflecting glimpses of the past as a guide to the present. During the 1980s, the tradition of compiling difangzhi (local gazetteers) was revived in that spirit. Several new gazetteers have already been published, and an increasing number will come out in the 1990s. The difangzhi are at the same time local histories and descriptions of the contemporary state of affairs in a certain locality, typically a province, a city or a county. By focusing on contemporary history at the local level the gazetteers offer glimpses of the recent past which are difficult or even impossible to find elsewhere. They will undoubtedly be important sources for Chinese regional studies in the future, as they provide us with detailed information o local geography, natural conditions and infrastructure, on demographic and economic developments, on political, military, social and cultural affairs, on local customs and dialects and on important local