The Bowu zhi: An Annotated Translation

Abstract: This dissertation has a two-fold purpose. Firstly, it provides an annotated translation of the full text of the Bowu zhi by Zhang Hua (232-300), an intriguing early mediaeval work that contains passages which throw interesting light on a number of fields in mediaeval Chinese scholarship and the development of traditional Chinese science. As reference to the Bowu zhi is rendered difficult by the parlous state of the text, a full translation with accompanying textual reconstruction where necessary was unavoidable, to which has been added a brief study of Zhang Hua. The second purpose of this dissertation is to attempt to gain a clearer understanding of the textual authenticity of the various extant editions of the Bowu zhi, and thus determine whether the Bowu zhi is a reliable source of mediaeval Chinese scholarship.