常言：「自古詩人例入蜀。」此話總不禁想到唐宋有不少重要文士因各自不同因素入蜀。唐宋文士入蜀，使巴蜀在唐宋已不純然為一個地理區域的概念，而是一個寓含文學意義的地方。是以，不禁令人想好奇追問的是：唐宋以後文士入蜀情況為何？巴蜀在唐宋的地域優勢是否延續至明清？唐宋前賢在此所共構的文化魅力，是否影響之後的入蜀文士？據筆者蒐集結果，明清文士入蜀情況雖無法如唐宋形成「蔚然成風」的顯著現象，仍留下為數可觀的詩文著述，清代尤為顯著，以乾嘉為最。
進一步言之，四川，在明清活絡的旅遊活動中非熱門區域，且對多數的中國文士來說，地處西南一隅，多視為遠離中央的「邊陲之地」，視入蜀為一趟經歷蜀道難的「探險旅程」。為何清代還有不少文士入蜀？入蜀目的難道只是一趟單純的旅遊冒險？抑或挾天朝之命，奉派入蜀？尤其四川與一向被視為蠻荒的滇、黔、藏相鄰，從地理位置的戰略性上說，在歷朝當權者眼中一直是開發西南的陣地，為溝通西南的一個重要窗口。清人入蜀與大清治理西南邊疆是否存在一定關聯？若有，入蜀目的為何？蜀中行跡何處？著述中反映哪些時事？能否一窺大清帝國勢力消長？
基於以上思索，本研究將以清代入蜀文士為研究對象，以其入蜀書寫為研究文
本。為不失客觀的彰顯研究地域之重要性，同時凸顯研究對象及其作品的研究價值，本研究試圖從一個較為宏觀的時間視域——清初至乾嘉（1644-1820）標示大清從掌權走向盛世，觀測、探究清代入蜀文士及其入蜀之作。各章編排架構為：首章，兼歷時和共時面向，討論研究對象「入蜀」及「蜀道詩」的相關問題。次章，由於歷來文士進出四川，必經蜀都，故將焦點放在研究對象於蜀都之相關詩文討論。接著，藉由峨眉山詩、竹枝詞、雜詠詩和方志、專著等文本討論，窺探研究對象兼攝個人情思、區域文化和時代意義的巴蜀書寫。最後，將從「地域文學」的觀照視角轉移到「大清邊陲」的視域進行思索，探討研究對象的「巴蜀邊域紀事」所反映的時事和意義。終章，立基於前面的研究上，提出幾個值得續作探討的議題，以見本文發展性。
經本研究討論顯示，四川在明清之際遭受空前浩劫，區域優勢已不如唐宋，即使如此，大清在尚未全面控管帝國版圖即「刻不容緩」任派官員入蜀，投入對川省的重建和開發，足見這個邊陲省分在天朝心中有不可替代的重要意義。本文歸結出：其一，清代四川由頹至甦的發展過程，入蜀官員既為「見證者」也是「參與者」，而大清帝國的危機與衰敗之兆，也被參與鎮壓川楚教亂的入蜀官員近距離的「目擊」和「揭露」。其二，入蜀文士同時為傳播華夏文化、表徵天朝立場，以及傳遞邊域信息給中央的「中介者」，可以說巴蜀為大清經略西南的中介地區，入蜀官員則是具體發揮其中介意義的執行者。其三，清代巴蜀區域歷史的建構，入蜀文士為巴蜀文化的「推動者和保存者」。
除此之外，透過清初至乾嘉不同時期文士入蜀之作探討，於一定程度上具有互為參照、互相補充的意義，結果顯示：其一，與唐宋入蜀前賢相較，清人入蜀的背景條件已無法與唐宋文士同日而語，蜀中創作不以投射個人情志為主要目的，而是不約而同流露出強烈的「紀事」和「獵奇」的書寫慾望，以致作品所展露的「時代意義」和「地域特色」十分鮮明。其二，入蜀書寫具有「風土誌」的參考價值——尤其深入川南蠻域（甚至中緬邊境），以及遠涉雪域（甚至登上世界屋脊的中尼邊境），捕捉羌族、藏族，乃至滇緬邊界少數民族等各具特色的風土民情，在「傳統入蜀文士的書寫系統中」開創新的書寫視域。其三，眼下山水出入於華夏視域與邊疆蠻域之間，詩人的感受交織於游賞和驚險之間，筆觸游走於寫實與考據之間，可謂走出唐宋入蜀前賢的山水詩視域，展示有清一代的書寫特點。其四，擴大傳統邊塞書寫的視域，在文士漸知悉的滇、黔之區外，「西藏」也漸進入文士建構西南知識的系譜之中。其五，所描述的邊域戰事，為歷史與文學交織的「第一線」紀錄，提供有別史冊、戰圖之參照。
總之，清初至乾嘉文士的入蜀書寫，作品既兼攝個人情志、地域文化和時代學風的多重意義，身在「邊陲行省」的「地方視角」也往往具有一窺中央國力消長、疆界內外游移的參考意義。

As the saying goes, “down through the ages, allegedly all poets made their own passages into the region of Shu,” many important literati of Tang and Song dynasties, because of their respective reasons, did take their trips to Shu. These literati’s Shu trips, had made Ba-Shu not merely a concept of a geographical region but also a place connoting literary significance during Tang and Song. What arouse one’s curiosity, sequentially, are the following questions: What are the specific situations of literati’s trips to Shu after Tang and Song? Did the regional advantage of Ba-Shu during Tang and Song extend to Ming and Qing dynasties? Did the cultural charm of Shu molded collectively by Tang and Song literati influence later literati? According to the result of substantial literature review, we learned that although the phenomenon of Shu trip among Ming-Qing literati did not “come into vogue” like that of Tang-Song period, Ming-Qing literati still left considerable amount of poems and related writings. This was particularly evident in Qing dynasty and reached its peak during Qian-Jia period.
Shu (Sichuan) is not a popular region for tourism during Ming and Qing. What is more, located in the southwest nook of mainland China and often regarded as the “periphery” far from the central authorities, going off to Shu was considered by most Chinese literati during that period as an adventure in which “the difficulty of the Shu Road” is an inevitable experience. But why there were still so many literati of Qing took their trip to Shu? Was it an adventure on purpose to them? Or were they just sent reluctantly to Shu due to the edict from the imperial court? Sichuan, adjacent to Dian (Yunnan), Qian (Guizhou), and Zang (Tibet) regions, were always viewed in particular as a rather desolate frontier. Accordingly, in terms of strategic location, Sichuan was a vital position for developing southwestern China and also an important gateway for communicating with the Southwest in the eyes of former regimes. Is there any connection during Qing, consequently, between literati’s trip to Shu and the governance of the southwestern border? If indeed, what are the purposes of aforesaid Shu trips? What are their tracks in Shu? What events were reflected in their works? And can we take a glimpse of the rise and fall of the Qing Empire from within?
Based on the aforementioned considerations, this study takes Qing literati’s Shu trips as research objects and their related works as research texts. In order to objectively highlight the importance of the research region (i.e. Shu) and manifest the value of research objects and their writings, this study intends to observe and explore these literati and their works from a more macroscopic perspective—a time span between early Qing and Qian-Jia period (1644–1820), which is a period depicting Daqing Empire from its burgeoning to its thriving.
The arrangement of chapters goes as follows: The first chapter, which covers both diachronic and synchronic facets, deals with issues related to “literati’s Shu trip” and their “poems about Shu roads.” Next, since ancient literati must pass through the capital of Shu either entering into or departing from Sichuan, the second chapter focuses specifically on the poems related to the capital of Shu. The following chapter, through text discussion over Zhu Zhi Ci (poem), miscellaneous poems, local records, and monographs, puts the focus on exploring research objects and their Ba-Shu writings synthesizing their individual feelings, regional culture, and the significance of the time. Eventually, the viewpoint shifts from the “geographical literature” to the perspective of “Daqing border” to ponder over the events and their inherent meanings reflected from the research objects’ “boundary chronicles of Ba-Shu.” Based on previous research, the final chapter puts forward several issues worthy of further discussion for future researchers.
This study’s findings show that Sichuan had suffered unprecedented catastrophes during Ming and Qing, and its regional advantages were not as good as those of Tang and Song. Even so, the Qing court still sent its officials to Shu without delay for the reconstruction and development of the province before it had fully controlled the empire territory. It is obvious that this border province is of irreplaceable significance to Daqing. This dissertation comes down to three key points. 1) The officials who made their trip to Shu were not only the “witness” and the “participant” in the rebuilding process of Sichuan during Qing, but also individuals who witnessed and uncovered at close quarters the signs of the crisis and decline of the Daqing Empire during the suppression of religious rebellion in Chuan-Chu region. 2) Literati who made their trip to Shu, in fact, served as “mediators” between the central government and the border region. They represented the Empire’s stance, promoted Huaxia culture in Shu, and transmitted the border information to the central government. This shows that Ba-Shu should be an intermediary area when the Qing court operated and developed the southwest of China, and the officials being dispatched to Shu were best helpers in carrying out the related tasks as mediators. 3) In the construction of the history of Ba-Shu region during Qing, these literati were depicted as “promoters and protectors” of Ba-Shu culture.
Furthermore, this study intends to achieve the purpose of mutual reference and complement through the investigation on literati writings of different periods from the early Qing to Qian-Jia. The investigation demonstrates the following results. 1) Since the background conditions of the aforesaid Qing literati are far different from those of Tang and Song, they no longer projected their personal feelings and experiences on their works, but expressed a strong desire to write a “chronicle” or a writing for “seeking novelty,” so that the “meaning of the time” and “regional characteristics” revealed in their works are very clear. 2) The writings of these literati have certain reference value of “local culture and customs” (風土志)—especially those mentioning the southern Sichuan (covering the China-Burma border) and the snowy zones (covering the Sino-Nepalese border forming the roof of the world), which have vividly portrayed the distinctively local conditions and customs of Qiang people, Tibetan people, and ethnic minorities in the Yunnan-Burmese border. These writings created a new perspective different from the traditional writing system of the former literati. 3) The writings by these literati are quite different from those of Tang and Song who concentrated mainly on landscape—featured by depicting the landscape of the border from the perspective of Huaxia—Qing literati convey their feelings interwoven with pleasure and thrill in their poems by techniques mixing realism with textual research. 4) Broadening the horizon of literati’s border writing; besides Dian-Qian, from then on “Tibet” has become a branch on the genealogy of knowledge of the Southwest. 5) The described border warfare was the “first hand” record of history and literature, which provided reference different from the annals and battle maps.
To sum up, the works written by these literati during the period from early Qing to Qian-Jia shared multiple meanings including personal emotions, regional culture, and the literary style of that time. These Shu-related writings, besides, from a local perspective of the border province, served as useful references in having a glimpse at the growth and decline of central power and at the transition of national border.