Gazetteers provide in-depth information and sources for the study of Chinese history, geography, local economy, culture, language and dialects, biographies, as well as the administration of local government at a given period. This local gazetteer of Yicheng County, Shanxi Province, in 12 juan, in six volumes, is one of the many editions issued over the centuries, beginning with the Jiajing reign (1522–66) and continuing until the Republican period in 1920s. Yicheng was famed for its rich history, culture, art, and trade. Among its famous natives was the mother of the Wanli Emperor (1563–1620), who had great influence over her son, as he was only ten years old when he ascended to the throne. This gazetteer is a Ming edition of the Wanli period, with supplements added during the Qing dynasty. The chief author of the main work was Cui Ruxiu (died 1621), who achieved his jin shi degree in 1607 and was the magistrate of Yicheng in 1607–9. The compiler was Shi Xueqian, a fellow magistrate. The Qing dynasty supplement was compiled by Shangguan Li (1611–83), also a native of Yicheng and an official during the early Qing dynasty. It was supplemented further and issued in 1608 by Hu Xianyao, a magistrate of Yicheng during the Shunzhi period (1644–61). This edition includes prefaces by four different authors: Lei Sipei, a Hanlin Academy member and poet; Shi Xueqian; Hu Xianyao, whose preface is dated 1657; and Shangguan Li. A postscript was written by Cui Ruxiu. The seal impression reads: Yu han shan fang cang shu (Ma Guohan’s Collection), which was the seal of the collection of Ma Guohan (1794–1857), a scholar and bibliophile, and the prefect of Longzhou, Shaanxi Province.