1
王者司牧黎元，方制天下。 列井田而底職貢，分縣道以控華夷。 雖《皇墳》、《帝典》之殊塗，《禹貢》、《周官》之異制，其于建侯胙土，頒瑞剖符，外湊百蠻，內親九牧，古之元首，咸有意焉。 然子弟受封，周室竟貽於衰削； 郡縣為理，秦人不免於敗亡。 蓋德業有淺深，制置無工拙。 殷、周未為得，秦、漢未為非。 摭實而言，在哲後守成而已。 謹詳前代隆平之時，校今日耗登之數，存諸戶籍，以志休期。
The sovereign governs and shepherds the people, thereby administering the realm. Arranging well-fields to secure tribute, dividing counties and districts to govern the heartland and the frontier. Though Huang Fen and Di Dian followed different paths, and the Tribute of Yu and the Offices of Zhou prescribed different systems, every ancient ruler devoted thought to enfeoffing lords, granting fiefs, bestowing imperial tokens and tally-seals, bringing the hundred barbarian peoples to the borders, and holding the nine pasture regions close at heart. Yet when sons and younger brothers received fiefs, the Zhou house ultimately bequeathed decline and diminishment; Governing through counties and commanderies, Qin could not escape defeat and ruin. Virtue and achievement run deep or shallow; institutions are neither inherently wise nor foolish. Yin and Zhou were not necessarily right, and Qin and Han were not necessarily wrong. Stated on the facts alone, success depends on a wise successor who preserves what was achieved. I shall carefully detail the peaceful and flourishing eras of past dynasties, compare them with today's figures for decline and growth in the household registers, and record an age of prosperity.
2
昔秦並天下，裂地為四十九郡，郡置守尉，以御史監之。 其地西臨洮，而北沙漠，東縈南帶，皆際海濱。 漢興，以秦郡稍大，析置郡國。 武帝斥越攘胡，土宇彌廣。 哀、平之季，凡郡國百有三，縣千三百一十四，道三十二，侯國二百四十一，而諸郡置十三部刺史分統之。 謂司隸、幷、荊、兗、豫、揚、冀、青、徐、益、交、涼、幽等十三州。 漢地東西九千三百二里，南北一萬二千三百六十八里。 後漢郡國，百有五，縣道侯國千一百八十六。 亦如西京之制，置十三州刺史以充郡守。 其地廣袤，亦如前制。
When Qin united the realm, it divided the land into forty-nine commanderies, each with a governor and deputy overseen by an inspector. Its territory reached the Tao River in the west and the desert in the north; east and south it wound along the seashore. When the Han rose, it subdivided the somewhat oversized Qin commanderies and established additional commanderies and princedoms. Emperor Wu drove back the Yue and pressed against the northern peoples, greatly expanding the domain. By the reigns of Emperors Ai and Ping, there were 103 commanderies and princedoms, 1,314 counties, 32 districts, and 241 marquisates, overseen by thirteen regional inspectorates. These were the thirteen provinces: Directorate of the Capital, Bing, Jing, Yan, Yu, Yang, Ji, Qing, Xu, Yi, Jiao, Liang, and You. Han territory measured 9,302 li from east to west and 12,368 li from north to south. Later Han had 105 commanderies and princedoms, with 1,186 counties, districts, and marquisates. Following the Western Capital system, it likewise established thirteen provincial inspectors in place of commandery governors. Its territorial extent likewise followed the earlier standard.
3
曹魏之時，三分鼎峙，淮、漢之間，鞠為鬥壤。 洎太康混一，尋陷胡戎。 南北分爭，何暇疆理？ 三百年間，廢置不一。 及隋氏平陳，寰區一統， 改州為郡，亦如漢制，置司隸、刺史，以糾郡守。 大凡隋簿，郡百九十，縣一千二百五十五，戶八百九十萬七千五百三十六，口四千六百一萬九千九百五十六。 其地東西九千三百里，南北一萬四千八百一十五里。 東、南皆際大海，西至且末，北至五原，隋氏之極盛也。 及大業季年，群盜蜂起，郡縣淪陷，戶口減耗。 高祖受命之初，改郡為州，太守並稱刺史。 其緣邊鎮守及襟帶之地，置總管府，以統軍戎。 至，改總管府為都督府。
During Cao-Wei, the realm split three ways; between the Huai and Han the land became a battleground. Reunification came in the Taikang era, but soon the land fell to northern peoples. With north and south locked in contention, who had time to administer the borders? Over three centuries, abolitions and reestablishments followed no single pattern. When the Sui pacified Chen, the whole realm was unified. In the third year of Daye, prefectures became commanderies; as in Han times, the Directorate of the Capital and regional inspectors were established to oversee commandery governors. According to Sui registers in general: 190 commanderies, 1,255 counties, 8,907,536 households, and 46,019,956 persons. Its territory measured 9,300 li east to west and 14,815 li north to south. East and south reached the sea; west to Qimo and north to Wuyuan—this was the Sui at its height. By the last years of the Daye era, rebels rose everywhere; commanderies and counties fell, and population dwindled. When Gaozu first received the Mandate, commanderies became prefectures and governors were all restyled regional inspectors. On the frontier and at strategic choke points, overall command offices were set up to direct military affairs. In the seventh year of Wude, overall command offices were renamed area-command offices.
4
自隋季喪亂，群盜初附，權置州郡，倍於開皇、大業之間，，悉令並省。 始于山河形便，分為十道：一曰關內道，二曰河南道，三曰河東道，四曰河北道，五曰山南道，六曰隴右道，七曰淮南道，八曰江南道，九曰劍南道，十曰嶺南道。 至十三年定簿，凡州府三百五十八，縣一千五百五十一。 至十四年平高昌，又增二州六縣。 自北殄突厥頡利，西平高昌，北逾陰山，西抵大漠。 其地東極海，西至焉耆，南盡林州南境，北接薛延陀界。 凡東西九千五百一十里，南北萬六千九百一十八里。 高宗時，平高麗、百濟，遼海已東，皆為州，俄而復叛，不入提封， 分天下郡縣，置二十四都督府以統之。 議者以權重不便，尋亦罷之。
After the disorders at Sui's end, as rebel bands first submitted, provisional prefectures and commanderies were set up at twice their Kaihuang and Daye numbers; in the first year of Zhenguan, all were ordered merged and reduced. Beginning from natural boundaries of mountains and rivers, the realm was divided into ten circuits: Guannei, Henan, Hedong, Hebei, Shannan, Longyou, Huainan, Jiangnan, Jiannan, and Lingnan. Registers fixed in the thirteenth year listed 358 prefectures and superior prefectures and 1,551 counties. In the fourteenth year, with the pacification of Gaochang, two prefectures and six counties were added. After destroying the Türk leader Jiali in the north and pacifying Gaochang in the west, the realm crossed the Yin Mountains and reached the great desert. Its territory reached the sea in the east, Yanqi in the west, the southern limits of Lin Prefecture in the south, and the Xueyantuo border in the north. In all, it measured 9,510 li east to west and 16,918 li north to south. Under Gaozong, Goguryeo and Baekje were pacified and lands east of the Liao Sea were made into prefectures, but they soon rebelled again and did not enter the imperial domain. In the second year of Jingyun, the realm's commanderies and counties were divided and twenty-four area-command offices were established to govern them. Critics found their authority too heavy and inconvenient, and they were soon abolished.
5
至德之後，中原用兵，刺史皆治軍戎，遂有防禦、團練、制置之名。 要衝大郡，皆有節度之額； 寇盜稍息，則易以觀察之號。
After the Zhide era, with war in the Central Plain, regional inspectors all took charge of military affairs, and the titles defense command, training command, and provisional command appeared. Major strategic prefectures all carried military commission quotas; When banditry eased, the title was changed to surveillance commissioner.
6
上元年後，河西、隴右州郡，悉陷吐蕃。 大中、咸通之間，隴右遺黎，始以地圖歸國，又析置節度。
After the Shangyuan era, the Hexi and Longyou prefectures and commanderies all fell to Tibet. Between the Dazhong and Xiantong eras, the surviving people of Longyou first returned their maps to the throne, and new military commissions were carved out.
7
今舉地理。 唐土東至安東府，西至安西府，南至日南郡，北至單于府。 南北如前漢之盛，東則不及，西則過之。 漢地東至樂浪、玄菟、，今高麗、渤海是也。 今在遼東，非唐土也。 漢境西至燉煌郡，今沙州，是唐土。 又龜茲，是西過漢之盛也， 戶部計帳，凡郡府三百二十有八，縣千五百七十有三。 羈縻州郡，不在此數。 戶八百四十一萬二千八百七十一，口四千八百一十四萬三千六百九，應受田一千四百四十萬三千八百六十二頃一十三畝。 雖未盈兩漢之數，晉、魏以來，斯為盛矣。 永泰之後，河朔、隴西，淪於寇盜。 元和掌計之臣，嘗為版簿，二方不進戶口，莫可詳知。 今但自武德已來，備書廢置年月。 其前代沿革，略載郡邑之端。 俾職方之臣，不殆于顧問耳。
Here I present the geography. Tang territory extends east to Andong, west to Anxi, south to Rinan, and north to Chanyu. North and south it matches Former Han at its height; to the east it falls short, to the west it exceeds it. Former Han reached east to Lelang and Xuantu—the region now held by Goryeo and Bohai. It now lies in Liaodong and is not Tang territory. Han borders reached west to Dunhuang; today's Shazhou is Tang territory. Kucha lies still further west, beyond Former Han at its greatest extent. In the twenty-eighth year of Kaiyuan, Ministry of Revenue accounts listed 328 commanderies and superior prefectures and 1,573 counties. Jimi prefectures and commanderies are not included in this count. There are 8,412,871 households, a population of 48,143,609, and 14,403,862 qing and 13 mu of land subject to allotment. Though still short of both Han dynasties' totals, it is the greatest prosperity since Jin and Wei. After the Yongtai era, the north of the Yellow River and Longxi fell to rebellion and brigandage. Yuanhe officials in charge of accounts once compiled registers, but the two regions filed no household returns, so the figures cannot be known in detail. Here I record only the years of establishment and abolition since the Wude era. For earlier dynasties I briefly note the origins of commanderies and districts. So that territorial officials may not be at a loss when consulted.
8
十道郡國
Commanderies and Principalities of the Ten Circuits
9
關內道一河南道二
I. Guannei Circuit; II. Henan Circuit
10
京師秦之咸陽，漢之長安也。 隋，自漢長安故城東南移二十里置新都，今京師是也。 城東西十八里一百五十步，南北十五里一百七十五步。 皇城在西北隅，謂之西內。 正門曰承天，正殿曰太極。 太極之後殿曰兩儀。 內別殿、亭、觀三十五所。 京師西有大明、興慶二宮，謂之三內。 有東西兩市。 都內，南北十四街，東西十一街。 街分一百八坊。 坊之廣長，皆三百余步。 皇城之南大街曰硃雀之街，東五十四坊，萬年縣領之。 街西五十四坊，長安縣領之。 京兆尹總其事。 東內曰大明宮，在西內之東北，高宗置。 正門曰丹鳳，正殿曰含元，含元之後曰宣政。 宣政左右，有中書門下二省、弘文史二館。 高宗已後，天子常居東內，別殿、亭、觀三十餘所。 南內曰興慶宮，在東內之南隆慶坊，本玄宗在籓時宅也。 自東內達南內，有夾城復道，經通化門達南內。 人主往來兩宮，人莫知之。 宮之西南隅，有花萼相輝、勤政務本之樓。 禁苑在皇城之北。 苑城東西二十七里，南北三十里，東至灞水，西連故長安城，南連京城，北枕渭水。 苑內離宮、亭、觀二十四所。 漢長安故城東西十三里，亦隸入苑中。 苑置西南監及總監，以掌種植。
The capital occupies the site of Qin's Xianyang and Han's Chang'an. Under Sui, the capital was moved twenty li southeast from old Han Chang'an; today's capital stands there. The city measures 18 li and 150 paces east to west, and 15 li and 175 paces north to south. The Imperial City stands in the northwest corner and is called the Western Inner Palace. Its main gate is Chengtian; its main hall is Taiji. The rear hall of Taiji is called Liangyi. Within it are thirty-five separate halls, pavilions, and towers. West of the capital stand the Daming and Xingqing palaces; together they are called the Three Inner Palaces. The city has eastern and western markets. Within the capital are fourteen streets running north-south and eleven running east-west. The streets divide the city into 108 wards. Each ward measures more than 300 paces on every side. South of the Imperial City runs Vermilion Bird Street; the fifty-four wards to the east fall under Wannian County. West of the street lie fifty-four wards under Chang'an County. The Jingzhao Intendant supervises all of it. The Eastern Inner Palace is Daming Palace, northeast of the Western Inner Palace; Gaozong built it. Its main gate is Danfeng; its main hall is Hanyuan; behind Hanyuan stands Xuanzheng. To either side of Xuanzheng stand the Secretariat and Chancellery bureaus and the Hongwen and Historical Archives. After Gaozong, the Son of Heaven regularly lived in the Eastern Inner Palace, which has more than thirty separate halls, pavilions, and towers. The Southern Inner Palace is Xingqing Palace, in Longqing Ward south of the Eastern Inner Palace; it was originally Xuanzong's residence as prince. An elevated passageway within the walls runs from the Eastern Inner Palace through Tonghua Gate to the Southern Inner Palace. The ruler could move between the two palaces unobserved. In the palace's southwest corner stand the "Tower of Blossoming Calyx Mutual Splendor" and the "Tower of Diligent Governance and Rooting in Fundamentals." The Forbidden Park lies north of the Imperial City. The park measures 27 li east to west and 30 li north to south, reaching the Ba River in the east, connecting to old Chang'an in the west, adjoining the capital in the south, and resting on the Wei River in the north. Within the park are twenty-four detached palaces, pavilions, and towers. Old Han Chang'an, 13 li east to west, is also incorporated into the park. The park has southwest and chief supervisors to manage cultivation.
11
安邑、夏縣，天寶後，加管戶一萬八千五百。
After the Tianbao era, Anyi and Xia Counties gained an additional 18,500 households under their jurisdiction.