Roaming Records and Illustrated Notes

Author: Wang Tao
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-06-01
Features: The author Wang Tao was a renowned thinker of modern China, born into a scholarly family during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. This book provides a detailed account of his journey to Europe, authentically reflecting his intellectual evolution. The writing is vivid and descriptive, making it highly readable.
Wang Tao was a famous thinker of modern China, born into a scholarly family during the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty. He studied extensively, becoming erudite and accomplished in many fields such as philosophy, education, journalism, history, and literature. He wrote over forty books, including The Collected Works of Tong Yuan, Notes on a Journey, A Brief Account of France, The Franco-Prussian War, and Poems of Honghua Hall. Notes on a Journey is a travelogue by Wang Tao. Arranged chronologically, it recounts his life's travels, including leisurely gatherings in his hometown, mountain climbs during his trip to Kunshan County for an examination, and revelry while preparing for the provincial examination in Jinling. The most substantial and significant part, however, is his journey to Europe. He traveled south from Hong Kong, passing through Singapore, Penang, Ceylon, the Red Sea, and the Aden Gulf, reaching the Suez Canal. From there, he took a train to Egypt, Italy, and France, spending two years in Britain. At every destination, he sought to "observe the wonders of the land and mountains, examine the purity or corruption of local customs, understand the rise and fall of the nation, and assess the strength or weakness of its military." He recorded his observations and feelings at the time, and over a decade later, compiled them into Notes on a Journey. This book provides a detailed account of his European journey, authentically reflecting his intellectual evolution. The writing is vivid and descriptive, making it highly readable.
Today, Notes on a Journey with Illustrations is reprinted. It includes fifty original illustrations from the Dingshi Zhai edition, with the text based on the Dingshi Zhai edition, supplemented by collation with manuscript drafts and A Collection of Geographical Notes from Xiaofanghu Zhai. The entire text is punctuated and printed, with an additional essay, Frequent Banquets, added based on the manuscript draft to provide a complete picture.