Selection and Omission: Literary Cartography and Urban Spatial Reconstruction in San Yan Er Pai

International Journal of Geographical and Spatial Studies

JGSS   Vol. 1, No. 1, 2026, pp. 44-54.

Print ISSN: 3105-1294; Online ISSN: 3105-1308

Journal homepage: https://www.gssjournal.com

DOI：https://doi.org/10.64058/JGSS.26.1.05

选择与省略：“三言二拍”的文学绘图与城市空间重构

张袁月（ZHANG Yuanyue）

摘要：“三言二拍”是明代话本小说的巅峰之作，但其城市书写常被视为对现实地理的还原，而编者冯梦龙与凌濛初的主观建构作用也长期被忽视。本文基于彼得•图尔奇的五种文学绘图范畴，借鉴罗伯特•塔利的空间性理论、德•塞托的城市空间实践理论等，将“选择与省略”作为核心绘图策略，并将其具体化为地名频率、景观密度、路线轨迹三项空间指标，从而揭示了冯梦龙与凌濛初如何通过取舍重构城市空间。首先，通过调整地名频率移位地图中心，重组了区域空间格局；其次，通过对地标景观的凸显与留白，重塑了城市空间记忆；最后，通过增删节点改变人物路线轨迹，重建了城市内部感知。由此，本研究为文学绘图提供了更细化的制图策略，以及可量化的操作路径。

关键词：选择；省略；三言二拍；文学绘图；城市空间

作者简介：张袁月，中国石油大学（华东）副教授，研究方向为中国古代小说、文学地图与文学景观研究，电邮为zyy@upc.edu.cn。

Title: Selection and Omission: Literary Cartography and Urban Spatial Reconstruction in San Yan Er Pai

Abstract: San Yan Er Pai represents the pinnacle of vernacular stories (huaben) in the Ming dynasty. However, its urban depictions have often been interpreted as faithful reflections of actual geography, while the subjective construction of the compilers, FENG Menglong and LING Mengchu, has long been overlooked. Drawing on Peter Turchi’s five categories of literary cartography, Robert T. Tally Jr’s spatial theory, and Michel de Certeau’s theory of urban spatial practice, this paper positions “selection and omission” as the core cartographic strategy and materializes it into three spatial indicators: toponym frequency, landscape density, and route trajectory, thus revealing how FENG and LING reconstruct urban space through selection and omission. First, by adjusting toponym frequency to relocate the cartographic center, the compilers reorganize the regional spatial pattern. Second, through the highlighting and omission of landmarks, they reshape urban spatial memory. Finally, by adding or removing plot nodes to alter character trajectories, they reconstruct perceptions of internal urban space. In this way, this study provides a more detailed cartographic strategy and quantifiable operational approach for literary cartography.

Keywords: selection; omission; San Yan Er Pai; literary cartography; urban space

Author Biography: ZHANG Yuanyue, Associate Professor at China University of Petroleum (East China). Her research interests include Chinese classical novels, literary cartography, and literary landscape studies. Email: zyy@upc.edu.cn

Received: 02 Mar 2026 / Revised: 05 Apr 2026 / Accepted: 30 Apr 2026 / Published online: 30 May 2026 / Print published: 30 Jun 2026.