Forbidden Memories: Scrutiny & Objects of Evidence

A Book to Burn

By Li Zhi (1527–1602)

Late Ming–early Qing dynasty (1621–1722), block-printed

Banned in late Ming through Qing dynasties (1573–1911) for challenging traditional scholarship.

《焚書》，明 李贄著
明末清初刻本，因挑戰传统學術於明代清代多次被禁

Notes on the Daily Accumulation of Knowledge 
By Gu Yanwu (1613–1682) 
Early Qing dynasty (1644–1862), hand-copied 

Banned in Qing dynasty (1644–1911) for the author’s anti-Qing stance.

《日知錄》，明末清初 顧炎武著
清初鈔本，於清代因作者身為著名抗清義士被禁

Chuan Shan Posthumous Papers 
By Wang Fuzhi (1619–1692) 
Qing dynasty, fourth year of Tongzhi reign (1865), block-printed

Banned in Qing dynasty, 46th year of Qianlong reign (1781), for the author’s anti-Qing stance and disrespectful language.

《船山遺書》，明末清初 王夫之
清同治四年刻本，清乾隆四十六年因語涉違礙被禁

A Summary of Military Art
By He Rubin, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Qing dynasty (1644–1911), hand-copied 

Banned in Qing dynasty, 45th year of Qianlong reign (1780), for being “erroneous and offensive.”

《兵錄》，何汝賓
清鈔本，清乾隆四十五年因“记载违谬，语多触犯”被禁

The Revolutionary Army
By Zou Rong (1885–1905) 
Republic period (1911–1949), stereotype 

Banned in Qing dynasty, Guangxu reign 29th year (1903), for challenging Qing government.

《革命軍》，清 鄒容著
民國石印本，於清代光緒二十九年因挑戰清政府被禁

The Peony Pavilion 
By Tang Xianzu (1550–1616) 
Late Ming dynasty (1550s–1644), block-printed 

Banned in Qing dynasty, Daoguang reign (1821–51) and Tongzhi reign (1862–74), for challenging feudal ethical code.

《牡丹亭》，明 湯顯祖著
明萬曆刻本，道光二十四年，同治七年作為淫書被禁

The Golden Lotus
Lan ling xiao xiao sheng, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Qing dynasty, 34th year of Kangxi reign (1695), block-printed

 
Banned in Qing dynasty, seventh year of Tongzhi reign (1869), for being obscene.

《金瓶梅》，明 蘭陵笑笑生著
清康熙三十四年刻本，清同治七年作為淫詞小說被禁

The Dream and Fate of Plum Blossoms
By Feng Yue Xuan You Xuan Zi, Ming dynasty (1368–1644)
Late Qing dynasty (1851-1911), block-printed

Banned in Qing dynasty, the 18th year (1838) and the 24th year (1844) of Daoguang reign, and the 7th year of Tongzhi reign (1868) as an obscene book.

《梅梦缘》，明 风月轩又玄子著
清末刻本，于清道光十八年（1838）、道光二十四年（1844）、同治七年（1868）因淫秽被禁

Dream of the Red Chamber
By Cao Xueqin (1715–1763) 
Late Qing dynasty (1840–1911), stereotype 

Banned in late Qing dynasty for sexual content.

《增評補圖石頭記》，清 曹雪芹著
清末鉛印本，於清代因“誨淫”被禁

一千零一夜(三)/One Thousand and One Nights (Vol.3)
納訓譯/translated by Na Xun
人民文学出版社 1958/People's Literature Publishing House 1958

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), most classics of Western literature were banned and inaccessible to the general public.  

在鐵鍊中/In the Forging of Steel
路翎著/Lu Ling
泥土社 1951/Soil Publishing House 1951

Banned in the late 1950s during the campaign against the “Hu Feng Anti-party Clique," based on an official notice which included a blacklist issued by the Propaganda Ministry on July 28, 1955.   

小东西/Little Good-For-Nothing
[法]都德著，郝運譯/Alphonse Daudet, translated by Hao Yun
新譯文叢刊 1954?/New Translation Series 1954?

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), most classics of Western literature were banned and inaccessible to the general public.  

第二次握手(上)/The Second Handshake (Vol. 1)
张扬著/Zhang Yang
1977手抄/hand-copied in 1977

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76) and the years that followed, hand-copied volumes of underground literature flourished. “The Second Handshake” was banned for writing about love,  advocating science and praising intellectuals. 

牛虻/The Gadfly
[英]艾·丽·伏尼契著， 李俍民译/E. L. Voynich, translated by Li Liangmin
中国青年出版社 1953/China Youth Publishing House 1953

During the Cultural Revolution (1966–76), most classics of Western literature were banned and inaccessible to the general public.  

往事并不如烟/The Past is Not Like Smoke
章诒和著/Zhang Yihe
人民文学出版社 2004/People's Literature Publishing House 2004

Banned after complaints from the descendants of political figures whom the author wrote about in the book.

Virtual installation view of Objects of Evidence (Modern Books).

Installation view of Objects of Evidence (Modern Books) from Eyes On: Xiaoze Xie, Denver Art Museum, December 3, 2017–July 8, 2018.