This small kind of encyclopedia was written by the Jin scholar Cui Bao 崔豹. It seems to be rather a compilation of explanations of interesting things for the author himself than for a wide public, but in many points, it shows the begin of an encyclopedial tradition in China.
The chapters of the Gujinzhu are:

1. Yufu 輿服 Chariots and Clothing 2. Duyi 都邑 Localities 3. Yinyue 音樂 Music 4. Niaoshou 鳥獸 Feathered and Hairy Animals 5. Yuchong 魚虫 Scaly Animals and Insects 6. Caomu 草木 Herbs and Plants 7. Zazhu 雜注 Miscellaneous 8. Wenda Shiyi 問答釋義 Questions and Answers to Explain Meanings

１．輿服
大章車，所以識道里也，起於西京．亦曰記（＝計）里車．車上為二
層，皆有木人．行一里，下層擊鼓，行十里，上層擊鐲．
劍，漢世傳高祖折白蛇劍，長七尺．漢高祖為泗水亭長，送徒驪山，所提劍理應三尺耳．後富貴則得七尺寶劍，捨舊劍而服之．後漢之世，唯聞高祖以所佩之劍折白蛇，而高祖常佩此劍，便謂此劍即折蛇之劍也．
Chariots and Clothing
[...] With the Great Sign Cart, it is possible to know the distance (of a certain place) the Western Capital (Chang'an/modern Xi'an/Shaanxi). This cart is also called "League-measure Cart". Upon the cart, there are two layers with wooden figurines. After passing one league (approx. 1/2 km or 1/3 of a mile), the figurine of the lower layer beats a drum, after ten leagues, the upper figurine beats a bell. [...]
[...]Sword: For generations, the house of Han kept the White Snake sword of Emperor Han Gaozu, it is seven feet long. When Han Gaozu was maior of Sishui and had to guide punitives to the Lishan Mountain, he still had an official sword, three feet long. Later, when he bacame wealthy and rich, he obtained an expensive sword of seven feet and threw away the old one. Later, the many generations of the house of Han explained that Gaozu admired that sword because he had used it to behead a white snake. And because he honored this sword that much, it was called the "Snake Killer Sword".
２．都邑
肆，所以陳貨鬻之物也．店，所以置貨鬻之物也．肆，陳也．店，置也．
城者，盛也，所以盛受大物也．
廟者，貌也，所以仿佛先人之靈貌也．
Localities
[...]A market stand (si) is a place to display goods. A store (dian) is a place where goods are purchased. Si means, to display. Dian means, to purchase.
[...]A city wall (cheng), means containing (cheng), because a city wall holds and protects great objects.
An ancestor temple (miao), means featuring (mao), because inside, the souls of the forefathers are featured.
３．音樂
《陌上桑》，出秦氏女子．秦氏邯鄲人，有女名羅敷，為邑人千乘王仁妻，王仁後為越王家令．羅敷出採桑於陌上，趙主登台，見而悅之，因飲酒欲奪焉．羅敷乃彈箏，乃作《陌上桑》以自明焉．
Music
[...]The Song "Mulberry up the Lane" was made by the daughter of Master Qin. Master Qin was Handan/modern Hebei, and his daughter was called Luofu. She was the wife of Wang Ren, a man of the same county, possessing a thousand chariots. Later, he became maiordomus of the Prince of Yue. One day, Luofu went out to pluck mulberry up the lane, when the Prince of Zhao appeared. He saw her and was very pleased by her appearance. Drinking some wine with her, the Prince tried to rob (rape?) her. But Luofu then started to play her zither and made the song "Mulberry up the Lane" to express her (faithful minds). Note: Compare the text of this song that is included in the anthology Yutai Xinyong.
４．鳥獸
鴛鴦，水鳥，鳬類也．雄雌未嘗相離，人得其一，則一思而至死，故曰疋鳥．
Birds and Beasts
[...]The mandarin duck is a water bird, it belongs to the family of the fu wild duck. Male and female of this duck never let their partner alone, and when one of the two is captured or killed by men, the other always thinks of his/her partner until dead (and will never take another partner). Therefore, they are also called "cover bird" (as their image, embroidered on the cover of a couple's bed as symbol of faithfulness and loyalty).
５．魚虫
鯨魚者，海魚也．大者長千里，小者數十丈．一生數萬子，常以五月六月，就巖邊生子，至七八月，導從其子還大海中．鼓浪成雷，噴沫成雨，水族驚畏，皆逃匿，莫敢當者．其雌曰鯢，大者亦長千里，眼為明月珠．
Fish, insects, flying animals, and reptiles
[...]The whale is a seafish. The biggest specimen can grow one thousand leagues long, and even the smallest are several dozen fathoms long. One individual is able to produce several ten thousand children. Normally, in the fifth or six month, they appear near the coast to give birth, and in the seventh or eighth month, they lead back their children into the open sea. The whale is able to stagger the waves like thunder, it gushes the sea foam like rain; all creatures in the sea are horrified by the whale, everyone tries to escape, and none would dare to meet a whale. The females are called Ni, and the biggest females are also a thousand leagues long. Their eyes are as big as moon pearls.
８．問答釋義
牛亨問曰：「自古有書契以來，便應有筆．世稱蒙恬造筆，何也？」答曰：「蒙恬始造，即秦筆耳．以枯木為管，鹿毛為柱，羊毛為被，所為蒼毫，非兔毫竹管也．」又問：「彤管何也？」答曰：「彤者，赤漆耳．史官戴事，故以彤管，用赤心記事也．」
Questions and Answers to Explain Meanings
[...]Niu Heng asked: "Since the oldest times, when there was a script and scriptures, people made use of a brush to write. People say that Meng Tian (a Qin Dynasty general) has invented the brush. Is that true?" (Dong Zhongshu?) answered: "Yes, Meng Tian has invented the brush, at least the Qin type. The shaft is made dried wood, the inner hair of the tip is taken deer, the outer side a goat. This is the so-called bluegray hair, not the brush made rubbit hair and a bamboo shaft." Another question: "What is the vermilion shaft?" Answer: "'Vermilion' means, red lacquer. When the historiographers write down events, they make use of a vermilion lacquered brush, to express that they will report things only with the pure heart of a newborn (hence red) baby."