Diaries of Activity and Rest (qijuzhu) is the name of the daily review of statements and deeds done by the Chinese emperor. The diaries were the basis of a series of documents, describing the governance period in a more concise form, from which eventually the official dynastic histories were assembled.
The qijuzhu were maintained since the Eastern Han dynasty. The degree of accuracy was dependent on the emperor's governance style (much or no consultation with officials) and his desire for secrecy. No diaries have been preserved from the period before the Ming dynasty. During the period between 1368 and 1573 of the Ming dynasty they were not kept up to date. The compiled diaries have, however, largely been preserved. This applies to both the remaining Ming and the Qing period. They have a high degree of reliability as a historical source because the activity in question was listed immediately and because they were not expressly intended to be made public.
The diaries for the period 1573-1615 were published in the 1980s. This also happened with the diaries from the Kangxi rulings (1661-1722), Yongzheng (1722-1735), Daoguang (1820-1850), Xianfeng (1850-1861), Tongzhi (1861-1875) and Guangxu (1875- 1908) emperors. The Qing-emperors diaries have appeared in both Chinese and in the Jordan. Literature Externe link Also see
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