Xu Xiake

Xu Xiake

Xu Xiake (from January 5, 1587 to March 8, 1641), a famous geographer, traveller and litterateur in Ming Dynasty, was born in Jiangyin County of nanzhili (now Jiangyin City of Jiangsu Province). After 30 years of investigation, he wrote a 600000 character geographical masterpiece "Xu Xiake's travels", which is known as "a marvelous person through the ages".

Xu Xiake's life is full of ambition, and his footprints cover 21 provinces, cities and autonomous regions today. He "knows what people have not reached, and explores what people have not known". Where he goes, he explores the seclusion and mystery, and has travel notes to record various phenomena, humanities, geography, animals and plants he has observed.

The opening day of Xu Xiake's Travels (May 19) was designated as China tourism day.

Life of the characters

Young aspire

In 1586, Xu Xiake was born in a well-known wealthy family in Jiangyin (now Jiangyin City of Jiangsu Province) of nanzhili. His ancestors were all scholars. His father, Xu youmian, did not want to be an official or associate with the powerful all his life. He liked to visit everywhere and enjoy the landscape. Influenced by the culture of the farming and reading family, Xu Xiake was eager to learn and read extensively in his childhood. He was especially fond of the local classics and local records. As a young man, he set up the travel ambition of "a man in the blue sea and a man in the dark".

In the 29th year of Wanli (1601), when Xu Xiake was 15 years old, he should have passed a boy's test, but he didn't get it. When the father saw that his son had no intention of fame, he encouraged him to read widely and be a learned man. Xu Xiake is very serious in reading. He can remember everything he has read when asked. But his family's collection of books gradually failed to meet his needs. He collected books he had never seen before. As long as he saw good books, even if he didn't bring money, he had to take off his clothes to change books.

Travel around the world

In 1605, Xu Xiake was 19 years old and his father died. Xu Xiake was born with a strange habit. He wanted to go out to explore the mysteries of famous mountains and rivers, and wanted to draw the world's famous mountains and rivers as his general ambition. But because of his old mother, he couldn't bear to go there.

Xu's mother is open-minded and reasonable. Compared with her father's "pure ambition", her mother's "diligent and optimistic" has a more direct impact on Xu Xiake. She actively encourages Xu Xiake to travel safely.

In the 36th year of Wanli (1608), Xu Xiake, a 22-year-old, finally made a formal trip. Before he left, he left his hometown wearing the traveling crown made by his mother and carrying simple luggage on his shoulders. From then on, until he died at the age of 54, he spent most of his time on travel and investigation.

After a day's trekking, no matter how tired Xu Xiake was, whether he was sleeping on the street or living in a broken temple, he insisted on recording the harvest of his investigation, leaving a precious geographical investigation record for future generations.

The first stage of Xu Xiake's travel life was in 1613 (the 41st year of Wanli), the preparation stage before the age of 28. They focus on studying the geographical and cultural heritage of the motherland, and visit Taihu Lake, Mount Tai and other places with interest, leaving no travel notes.

The second stage is from 28 years old in 1613 to 1633, the sixth year of Chongzhen. The 48 year old Ji you, who spent 20 years, visited Zhejiang, Fujian, Huangshan, and other famous mountains in the north, such as Songshan, Wutai, Huashan and Hengshan. But the travel notes are only one volume, accounting for about one tenth of the whole book.

In 1614, Xu Xiake visited Yangzhou, Nanjing and other places near his home, as well as the Slender West Lake.

The third stage is from the 51st year of the ninth year of Chongzhen (1636) to the 12th year of Chongzhen (1639). Ji you, 54, spent four years visiting Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Huguang, Yungui and other great mountains and rivers in the south of the Yangtze River, and wrote nine volumes of travel notes.

Xu Xiake's last trip was in 1636, when he was 51 years old. On the 19th of the first month of the tenth year of Chongzhen (1637), Xu Xiake went from Jiangxi to Hunan, and from you county to today's Hengdong County. He spent 55 days touring Hengdong, Hengshan, Nanyue, Hengyang, Hengnan, Changning, Qidong, Leiyang counties (cities) under the jurisdiction of today's Hengyang City, and three times into Hengzhou Prefecture. He had a good view of the beautiful landscape and cultural grand view in Hengzhou, leaving behind a description of Hengzhou's mountains and rivers A diary of Hengyou with more than 15000 words of local conditions and customs. His detailed description of Shigu mountain and shigu Academy provides precious historical materials for later generations to repair shigu Academy. This time, he mainly traveled in Southwest China until he reached Tengyue (now Tengchong, Yunnan Province) at the junction of China and Myanmar. Unfortunately, after arriving in Tengyue, Xu Xiake was seriously ill and ended his journey and was sent back to his hometown in Jiangyin.

Xu Xiake has made four long-distance treks in the past 30 years without any financial support, covering 21 provinces, cities and autonomous regions, including Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Shandong, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Hebei, Henan, Anhui, Jiangxi, Fujian, Guangdong, Hunan, Hubei, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan, Beijing, Tianjin and Shanghai It covers most of China. What's more, during more than 30 years of travel and investigation, he mainly trekked on foot, rarely rode on horseback or by boat, and often carried his luggage on his own. Most of the places he visited were desolate and remote areas, or frontier areas with few people to visit. Several times, he encountered life-threatening situations and experienced the hardships of the journey.

In 1616, Xu Xiake visited Mount Baiyue (now Qiyun mountain) and then came to Mount Huangshan. When Xu Xiake ascended Huangshan, he once praised the beauty of Huangshan: "the famous mountains at home and abroad are not as beautiful as Huangshan in Huizhou." Later, it was extended by the local people as "Five Mountains return without seeing mountains, Huangshan Mountain return without seeing mountains". After that, Xu Xiake came to Fujian Province and began his trip to Wuyishan.

In the 45th year of Wanli (1617), Xu Xiake mainly made short-term tours, such as Shanjuan cave and Zhanggong cave. This year, his wife died.

In the 46th year of Wanli (1618), in August and September, Xu Xiake went up the Yangtze River with his relatives and friends and visited Lushan Mountain. Then, in September of the year, he visited Huangshan again - the same route as the first.

In the first year of Taichang (1620), Xu Xiake set out in May of that year to continue his short-term tour in neighboring provinces. Tourist attractions include Jianglang Mountain in Zhejiang Province, Jiuli lake and Shizhu mountain in Fujian Province.

In the third year of Tianqi (1623), Xu Xiake traveled to Hebei Province, then to Henan Province, and visited Shaolin Temple and Songshan mountain. Later, he visited the Longmen Grottoes. After that, Xu Xiake continued his journey to the West and came to Huashan Mountain. Unlike Han Yu, who was scared and crying after climbing Huashan Mountain, Xu Xiake traveled all over the five peaks of Huashan Mountain. After that, Xu Xiake visited Mt. Emei and Mt. Wudang. In Mount Emei, because of the local rebellion, the "e tour is not smooth".

In 1624, because his mother was 80 years old, Xu Xiake planned to stop traveling and serve his mother. However, in order to show her support for him, her mother made an amazing move to travel with her son. Of course, these scenic spots are basically limited to Xu Xiake's hometown in Jiangsu Province. The next year, Xu Xiake's mother died, and the grieving Xu Xiake also temporarily stopped his trip.

In the first year of Chongzhen (1628), after the expiration of the three years of shouxiao, Xu Xiake embarked on the journey again. He visited Jindou mountain and Yuhua cave in Fujian Province, and then came to Luofu Mountain in Guangdong Province.

In the second year of Chongzhen (1629), Xu Xiake went north from the canal and visited Panshan, Kongtong mountain, Jieshi mountain and other scenic spots.

In 1630, he and his uncle set out in July to visit Fujian again. The scenic spots of this tour include fugai mountain, Taoyuan cave and so on. In addition, there was a drifting activity.

In the fifth year of Chongzhen (1632), he and his brothers set out in March of the lunar calendar to visit Tiantai Mountain and Yandang Mountain again, and then went boating in Taihu Lake with the zodiac on Monday.

In the summer of 1633, Xu Xiake once again went north to the capital, and visited Wutai Mountain scenic spot in Shanxi Province, covering the southeast, northwest and 4tai. In August, he left Wutai Mountain for Hengshan and visited Xuankong Temple and Temple group.

In the ninth year of Chongzhen (1636), Xu Xiake, who was 50 years old, felt that his old illness was coming and began the solemn and stirring "wanliya sign". Starting in October, he traveled through Jiangxi and Hunan, touring Xitang, Guifeng, Longhu Mountain, Huixian mountain, Wugong Mountain and other places of interest along the way, and then continued his journey. After Xu Xiake traveled to Lijiang, Yunnan Province, he was unable to walk due to foot disease, so he still insisted on compiling travel notes and mountain records, and basically completed more than 2.6 million words of Xu Xiake's travel notes. At the request of local people, he compiled Jizu mountain records.

In 1637, Xu Xiake left Hunan and entered Guangxi. After inspecting Lingqu, he visited Guilin and Yangshuo, which are still popular scenic spots. In Guilin, he visited Xiangbi mountain, Diecai mountain, Qixingyan, Fubo mountain and Yaoshan mountain. Since then, Xu Xiake went boating on the Lijiang River and came to Yangshuo. At that time, Xu Xiake wanted to climb Duxiu Peak very much, but this was the forbidden area of Wangcheng. Xu Xiake begged hard and failed to do so. After his trip to Yangshuo in Guilin, Xu Xiake visited Duqiao mountain, Goukou and other scenic spots.

In 1638, Xu Xiake began his journey to Yunnan and Guizhou. He visited Baishuihe waterfall, which is now Huangguoshu waterfall. Along the way, the main scenic spots he passed include Guanyin cave, Biyun cave, Danxia Mountain, Shilin, Kunming Xishan, karst cave group, Qipan mountain, Shuimu mountain, Jiuding Mountain, Jizu mountain, Lijiang, Miaofeng Mountain, etc.

The 12th year of Chongzhen

Chinese PinYin : Xu Xia Ke