Wuyue Youcao Guangzhi Yi--Yuanming Historical Materials Notes

Author: Wang Shixing (Ming), edited by Zhou Zhenhe
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Features: Wang Shixing, styled Hengshu, known as Yuanbai Dao Ren, was a native of Linhai, Zhejiang. He was born in the 26th year of the Jiajing era of the Ming Dynasty (1547) and died in the 26th year of the Wanli era (1598). He had a passion for traveling and, while still a scholar, had already visited the scenic spots in Hangzhou and the Yuezhou region. In the 5th year of the Wanli era (1577), he passed the imperial examination and subsequently served as an official in Henan, Beijing, Sichuan, Guangxi, Yunnan, Shandong, and Nanjing, among other places. Except for Fujian, his footsteps covered all the two capitals and twelve provinces of the time. He wrote many excellent travel accounts and poems, with the continuation titled "Five Great Mountains Travel Notes." In his later years, he engaged in theoretical reflection on the places he had traveled and explored, writing two outstanding geographical works, "Broad Travel Records" and "Broad Records Translation." The geographical ideas, achievements, and valuable geographical materials preserved in these three books are sufficient to place him among the great geographers in Chinese history without any hesitation. Unfortunately, he was largely overlooked for nearly four centuries, especially after the middle period of the Qing Dynasty, when he was almost unknown. The purpose of this collection is to draw attention not only to Wang Shixing as an individual but also to the group of geographers in the late Ming Dynasty, as well as all geographers in Chinese history.