The Travelogue of Xiake Xu

This is a renowned geography book from the Ming Dynasty. It was written by Hongzu Xu (nickname Xiake Xu). The originals have been scattered and lost, and the existing editions were compiled over time. Ten volumes with more than 600,000 words remain today (however, circulations of 12 volumes, 20 volumes and more have been described). The book describes the author’s travel observations from 1607 to 1640 AD and records the geography, geology, geomorphology, karst landforms, hydrology, vegetation and phenology in detail. It also established a new direction in geography that includes systematic observations, descriptions and understanding of nature. Furthermore, it contributed greatly to research on karst landforms in limestone areas by providing vivid, detailed and accurate explanations of the features, structures and formations of caves, underground rivers, peak forests, sinkholes, stalactites, and stalagmites. Its research on limestone landforms preceded that of Europe by more than 200...