Tatar Tibet Travelogue

Author: (French) Guoberca / Geng Sheng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-01-01
Features: The Journey of a Diplomat to Tibet has become a classic in Western Sinology since its first publication in 1852, translated into major languages in both East and West and repeatedly republished. The book is both scholarly and engaging, making it a rare representative work on Western Chinese culture. Guoberca (June 1, 1813 – 1860, aged 47) was a missionary of the French Missionary Society who entered China in 1839. On May 25, 1843, he set off from Xiwanzi, traveling through Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Gansu, and Qinghai, covering a long journey of 18 months before arriving in Lhasa on January 29, 1846. The Journey of a Diplomat to Tibet describes his experiences from Xiwanzi to Lhasa and then from Lhasa to Chengdu in Sichuan, recounting the twists and turns and the landscapes along the way. Guoberca's legendary journey lies in the fact that although he was not the first Westerner to enter Tibet, he was one of the few who survived the journey back.