Diary Of Dzengseo Analysis

It is inarguable that diary of Dzengseo is very significant from the aspect that during those times, no one really kept journals and with the exception of what was written by the scholars, the rest was passed on word of mouth. Also, considering that three fourths of the journal was lost, I think that Nicola Di Cosmo did a spectacular job, by not only translating the diary, but also adding context for those who many not be familiar with the Manchus and the Qing Dynasty. I know some things about Chinese Culture, but until this week’s reading, I did not know that non-Hans had control over China, so needless to say, providing context and background goes a long way.
I would venture to say that Di Cosmo, did his research and since he used citations
in the book, I would say referenced appropriate publications, so I would say that using the introduction would be safe to use as a primary source. When it comes to the journal itself, the translation and context, I would caution on the side of error and most likely not use it, as it would be considered personal opinion or hearsay, neither would serve as a primary source for a said topic.