The descriptions of local chronicles have a certain area, usually according to a certain administrative division, compiled by province, by prefecture, by prefecture and county, and by city.There are also chronicles written for villages, towns or mountains, rivers, lakes, places of interest and so on. Local chronicles used to have some different names. For example, in the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it was commonly called "Tu Jing". From the Southern Song Dynasty until now, most of them are called "×× Zhi", and a few are still called "Tu Jing", or " "Cheng", "Lue", "Dian", "Book", "Record" and so on.No matter what the name is, it is preceded by the place name.Some are named with the ancient name, abbreviation or another name of the place.Such as "Lin'an Zhi" (Hangzhou, Zhejiang) and "Qinchuan Zhi" (Changshu, Jiangsu).There are Jiuxian Mountain in the east of Fuzhou City, Min Mountain in the west, and Yuewang Mountain in the south, so Fuzhou is also called Three Mountains, and some Fuzhou Chronicles are called "Three Mountains". "Dian Lue" is the local chronicle of Yunnan, "Minshu" is the local chronicle of Fujian, "Xiong Cheng" is the county chronicle of Xiongxian County, Hebei, and "Shan [shanshan] Lu" is the county chronicle of Shengxian County, Zhejiang.After the Ming Dynasty, it was more common to add the names of administrative divisions such as prefectures, prefectures, and counties after place names, such as "Nanxiong Mansion Chronicle" (Nanxiong, Guangdong), "Fuping County Chronicle" (Shaanxi Fuping), "Xuanwei Prefecture Chronicle" ( Xuanwei, Yunnan), etc., the scope of the area it records is more clear.

Local chronicles only record things in the region.For those events involving the whole country, the local chronicles only record in detail the parts related to the region.For example, if a peasant uprising spread to several provinces, local chronicles must record in detail the activities of the rebel army in the region; for a certain national economic policy, local chronicles only record its implementation in the region.The geographic location, natural conditions, social environment, and ethnic customs of each place are different. In addition, the editors of local chronicles deliberately highlight things that are not found elsewhere and are unique to the local area. When you open any local chronicles, you will feel a strong local atmosphere.

The Yellow River is the mother river of the Chinese nation. From the local annals of the provinces, prefectures and counties where the Yellow River flows, one can see the benefits and harms that the mighty river has brought to the local residents, as well as how the local residents have struggled with the floods of the Yellow River from generation to generation. experience.The local chronicles of coastal areas always have articles such as "haiphong", "sea wall", "sea wall", "maritime transport", and even "tide", "wind letter" and "ship administration", revealing a sea scenery.Shanxi is a well-known hometown of coal; local chronicles of important coal-producing areas often record the history of local coal mining, the distribution of coal mines, coal management, taxes and so on.Guzhou (now Rongjiang County) in Guizhou is an area inhabited by ethnic minorities. "(Guangxu) Guzhou Tingzhi" has three chapters dedicated to "Miao Village", "Miao Zhong" and "Miao Language", recording Miao, Gelao, and Shui The costumes, diet, customs, and language of ethnic groups such as home.Chengde, Hebei is the location of the Summer Resort, the summer resort of the emperors of the Qing Dynasty. In its first local chronicle "(Qianlong) Rehe Zhi", there are more than 100 buildings inside and outside the Summer Resort, with detailed drawings. It's like an architectural archive of a summer resort.

In short, no matter in name or content, local chronicles have distinct local characteristics.Its records are detailed and specific about the affairs of this region, which are often irreplaceable by other works.