Xu Bo (1563–1639), courtesy name Weiqi and art name Xinggong, was a native of Min County, Fujian, and a Ming-dynasty man of letters, bibliophile, and local gazetteer scholar. He never held office, devoting himself to building a library and to collating and transmitting texts. His Hongyu Lou collection reportedly held more than seventy thousand volumes, and he advocated "transmission as preservation," arguing that books should circulate and be shared rather than hoarded. His writings span notebooks, local records, and miscellaneous learned observations. Xu shi bi jing, in the form of reading notes, examines poetry and prose, appraises figures, and touches on painting, calligraphy, and personal observations, showing broad learning and careful judgment; Ming tan centers on tea, combining everyday pleasure with literati appreciation. He also took part three times in compiling the Fuzhou Prefectural Gazetteer, working diligently on local sources. Two of his works are extant, commonly classified under Eastern philosophy and literary appreciation, reflecting the dual value of his notes as intellectual-historical material and literary criticism.
