Celebrities’ evaluation of Sima Qian:

1. Lu Xun introduced Sima Qian in a special chapter in his book "The History of Chinese Literature". Lu Xun believed: "The literati of Emperor Wu's time were more prolific than Sima Xiangru, and more literary than Sima Qian."

Sima Qian wrote articles that "are not limited to history and law, not limited to words, but are written from emotion and from the heart." " Therefore, "Historical Records" can be regarded as "the swan song of historians, the unrhymed "Li Sao"". Lu Xun's evaluation has become an immortal saying in the comments of "Historical Records".

2. Mao Zedong said in the article "Serving the People": "People always have to die, but the meaning of death is different. In ancient China, a writer named Sima Qian said: 'Everyone is destined to die. "It may be heavier than Mount Tai, or it may be lighter than a feather."

To die for the interests of the people is more important than Mount Tai; to work for the fascists and die for those who exploit and oppress the people is more important than a feather. "Light." Mao Zedong admired Sima Qian very much and believed that "Sima Qian visited Xiaoxiang, traveled across the West Lake, visited Kunlun, and visited famous mountains and rivers, and his mind was broadened."

3. Guo Moruo particularly appreciated Sima Qian’s literary talent. He said: "Sima Qian, a master of history, is really worthy of our boast. His "Historical Records" is nothing more than an ancient Chinese epic, or it can be said to be a collection of historical novels."

< p> In the inscription he wrote for Sima Temple in 1958, Guo Moruo praised Sima Qian for his "unparalleled contributions to his generation" and "his merits are as good as those of his nun father". It can be seen that Guo Moruo believed that the literary achievement of "Historical Records" was extremely high.

4. Jian Bozan believed that Sima Qian was the founder of Chinese history, and "Historical Records" is a history centered on society. He said: "Chinese history became an independent knowledge starting from the Western Han Dynasty. The founder of this kind of knowledge was the great historian Sima Qian. "Historical Records" is an immortal monument as the starting point of Chinese history."

He also said: "Although "Historical Records" is a biography, it is a history centered on society." Sima Qian "almost noticed every stratum, every corner, and every aspect of the dynamics of society in history. , and all are described in concrete and vivid ways, so I think "Historical Records" is China's first large-scale social history."

5. Zheng Zhenduo believes: Since Sima Qian, history has been regarded as the encyclopedia of the times, so the materials Sima Qian collected cover a wide range, from politics to economics, from war to academics, everything is included. The scope of its network is extremely broad. The so-called "literary history" is often included in this all-encompassing "encyclopedia of the times."

Extended information:

Commemoration for later generations:

South of Hancheng City, Shaanxi Province, at the northern end of Liangshan overlooking the Yellow River, there is a building dedicated to Sima Qian. The Sima Qian Temple built here began in the fourth year of Yongjia in the Western Jin Dynasty (310). The prefect of the county built a stone chamber, erected a monument, and planted cypress trees. Sima Chi, Emperor Huai of the Western Jin Dynasty, offered sacrifices to Sima Qian, who had the same surname. In the seventh year of Xuanhe in the Northern Song Dynasty (1125), the tomb was repaired and the dormitory, dedication hall and mountain gate were built.

Afterwards, during the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was continuously repaired and rebuilt, becoming the ancestral hall today. Behind the palace of Sima Qian Temple is Sima Qian's tomb. In fact, this is not a burial tomb, but was built by later generations and repaired during the Western Jin Dynasty. The existing circular tomb is 2.15 meters high and 13.19 meters in circumference. The walls are paved with Bagua and patterned bricks. On top of the tomb is a large ancient cypress with five branches.

Reference: Baidu Encyclopedia-Sima Qian (historian and essayist of the Western Han Dynasty)