Julian Ward (1)

This is a great introduction to Chinese travel literature. While focusing on Xu Xiake, and specifically on the diary he wrote during his trip to Yunnan, there is a brief history of travel writing up to his time as well as some material on the particular interest of mountains and caves to these writers. I also enjoyed the amalgamation of Daoist, Buddhist and Neo-Confucian thought in Xu Xiake's worldview. What could have been a dry book of literary criticism is instead a window on the show more contemplation of landscape. show less