Xu Xiake was known in China as a great explorer (探险家)，geographer and travel writer. Born in 1587, he loved reading books about geography and nature and from an early age wished to see the natural wonders of the country. Xu started to travel at the age of 22 with the encouragement of his mother. As well as exploring famous mountains and rivers, he went to places that had never been visited before. His first journeys lasted only a few months so that he could often return home. But by 1639, about two years before his death, Xu had been travelling for years at a time, covering almost half of modern China. Unlike most travelers these days, Xu travelled the hard way— n foot. He showed great courage during his journeys. He often went without food for days and suffered (遭受) bad weather, illness, dangerous animals and even robbers.
Xu wrote about his discoveries in his travel diaries, which are the earliest records of landscapes (风景)in Southern China. Xu's own experiences enabled him to correct several mistakes in earlier books. One of his most important discoveries was that the
Jinsha River was the true source of the Yangze River. At more than 600,000 words, Xu's diaries are regarded as one of the greatest works in both scientific and literary fields. Translated into modern Chinese, it is amazing to hear the voice of Xu Xiake speaking to us across the centuries about his adventures.
