Personal Library -- The Journey of Xu Xiake

Author: Xu Xiake (Ming)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: The Travel Diary of Xu Xiake is a realistic work written in a diary format by Xu Xiake based on his personal experiences. It is a monumental masterpiece with over 600,000 characters. It vividly, accurately, and detailedly records the abundant natural resources and geographical landscapes of our country, providing extremely valuable materials for the study of historical geography. It holds high scientific and social significance, pioneering the tradition of field investigations and systematic descriptions of nature in the history of Chinese geography. For example, he systematically studied the limestone landscapes in southwestern China, making it one of the earliest and most precious documents on karst topography in China and the world. This predates the European exploration of karst topography, which only began in the latter half of the 18th century, by over a century. The Travel Diary of Xu Xiake is also known as the "Eternal Wonder of the Ages" and the "Greatest Wonder of All Time." Although The Travel Diary of Xu Xiake is a vast work spanning over 600,000 characters, it does not feel (lengthy). Its language is elegant, vivid, and emotionally resonant, with nuanced and profound expression. Readers are transported into the scenes, unable to put it down. It was praised by Qian Qianyi, the chief literary figure of the Kangxi era in the Qing Dynasty, as "the true, grand, and extraordinary words of the world."