Travel of Ancient Chinese Scholars

Scholar’s ??Wandering

Literature scholars in ancient Chinese society often compared “reading thousands of books” with “traveling thousands of miles”, and almost all of them had a history of traveling. Among the more famous ones are:

Qu Yuan (about 340 BC to 278 BC), a man who looked forward to the Warring States period. Because he was slandered, he was demoted by the king of Chu. He went to the north of Han Dynasty and south of the Yangtze River, and traveled in the Yuan and Xiang River basins for a long time. He felt deeply about the corruption of national politics and the disillusionment of his own ideals. He angrily wrote "Li Sao", "Nine Years" and "Nine Years". Chapter", "Nine Songs", "Heavenly Questions" and other poems. These poems, with beautiful language and rich imagination, express his hatred of evil, concern for the country and the people, and dedication to his ideals. They are known as "great words, outstanding in the world" (Lu Xun's "Outline of the History of Chinese Literature"). , legends and stories; not only revised, supplemented and explained Sangqin's "Shui Jing", but also eulogized and praised the mountains and rivers of the motherland; it not only has precious geographical value, but also occupies an important position

Xu Xiake (1586-1641), geographer. He did not enter an official career and specialized in traveling. Since the age of 22, with the support of his mother, he "traveled around famous mountains and rivers to broaden his mind and broaden his knowledge." He reached Yanyou in the north, Guangdong and Fujian in the east, and southern Yunnan in the west. He continued to pursue his ambition for more than 39 years and traveled to Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Shandong, Hebei, Henan, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Fujian, Jiangxi, Hubei, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Yunnan and Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai and other places. He traveled across mountains and rivers, eating and sleeping in the open; he conducted detailed investigation and research on the motherland's beautiful rivers and mountains, geological minerals, water conservancy resources, and various organisms, vegetation, caves, and karsts; and he insisted on writing a diary every day, describing his personal life in fresh and concise language. His experiences and journeys were compiled into "Xu Xiake's Travels" by later generations. Because this book is vivid in writing, detailed in description, and has strong artistic appeal, it is not only a geographical work, but also has high literary value.

In addition, Wang Wei, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Liu Yuxi, Liu Zongyuan, Ouyang Xiu, Shen Kuo, Su Dongpo, Li Qingzhao, Lu You, Zhu Shunshui, Li Shizhen, etc. are all famous scholars in ancient times. They all have made great achievements in travel and tourism. Immortal works handed down from generation to generation.