徐松及其西北边疆史地研究

Xu Song and His Research of History and Geography of the Border of Northwest China

徐松是清代研究西北边疆史地的学者中承先启后的人物 ,其学术上承乾嘉诸老 ,精于考证辑佚 ,又受嘉道间经世实学的影响 ,在当时学者中颇受推崇。他的西北边疆史地研究克服了前代学者研究西北囿于书本的局限 ,以实地覆勘与文献考证相结合 ,著述真实可信。在其多种关于清代西北史地的著述中 ,《西域水道记》最具特色。

Xu Song was one of the most important scholars in Qin Dynasty who studied the history and geography of the border of Northwest China.He was good at verifying and gathering rare and scattered writing and books.His learning was greatly influenced by the academic atmaspere in Qianlong and Jiaqin's reigns as well as the studies on the public affairs of the government in Jiaqin and Daoguang's reigns,and was held in high esteem by the contemporary scholars.In his research he broke the limits of the former scholar's studies that were confined on books.His research was a good combination of surveying on the spot and verifying the historical douments.So his writing was true and creditable.Among his many writings on the history and geography of Northwest China in Qin Dynasty.“A Record on the Water Ways in the West of China”is the most valuable one.We can use the experience of Xu Song's research for reference on our study about history and geograply of the border of Northwest China in the present stage.