Jiangyin Celebrity --- Xu Xiake

 

 

Xu Xiake was a famous travel expert and geographer of the late Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), he also called Hongzu (1587-1641), was born in today's Jiangyin of East China's Jiangsu Province. There is saying goes like this: walking ten-thousand miles is more than reading ten-thousand books. He obeyed this regulation to broaden his horizon. Actually he studied the ancient classics as a small boy and learned to write the eight-part essay prescribed for the imperial civil service examination, but refused to take part in the imperial examination. Instead, he developed an interest in historical books, especially such books on different places, and devoted himself to traveling all over the country.

During his lifetime, Xu Xiake traveled around and conducted surveys in 16 provinces, leaving his footsteps in virtually every part of the country. In conducting his surveys and investigations, he would never blindly embrace the conclusions recorded in previous documents. Instead, he discovered that the documentations made by his predecessors in their geographical studies were quite unreliable in many aspects.

To ensure that his reconnaissance were real and detailed, he seldom traveled by ship or by wagon. He climbed over mountains and hills and traveled long distances almost entirely on foot. Aiming to develop a true picture of the natural world, he made it a point of undertaking his expeditions in those mountain areas where roads were difficult to travel and in those woods that were sparsely populated. In this way he discovered many marvelous mountains and beautiful scenes. He made repeated visits to the famous mountains across the country at different times and seasons of the year to so that he could make repeated observations of their wonderful scenery that kept changing all year round.

The Travel Diaries Xu Xiake was his masterpiece and gives the later generation or offspring the great heritage to learn more about Chinese geography. This role is unprecedented and significant. This book recorded many objective illustration or explanation on many famous mountains or waters such as Huangshan Mountain, Lushan Mountain and so on. His works are much too valuable in science and literature.