Ch'i-chu-chu
(Records of the emperor's speech and actions)

Ch'ing dynasty (A.D. 1644 1911)
29.5 x 18.2 cm

The words and acts of the emperor were recorded in the Ch'i-chu-chu. In earlier times the scribe on the left of the emperor would set down his speech, the one on the right his actions. This practice was initiated during the Han dynasty but discontinued after the T'ang; it was replaced by the keeping of general summaries of the emperor's acts. Most of the records in the Museum collection are written in Manchu and date from the K'ang-hsi to Hsuan-t'ung reigns. Shown here are records of Emperor K'ang-hsi, written in Chinese and Manchu, from the 24th day of the 4th month in the 29th year of his reign (A.D. 1690).


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