Ancient Chinese Travelogues

Name: Ancient Chinese Travelogues
ISBN: 9787301121191

朱耀廷Peking University Press · ChinaAug 2025

3.5

Word count: 103K words
Chapters: 158
ISBN: 9787301121191

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Summary

This textbook was compiled to meet the teaching needs of tourism programs in colleges and universities. The introduction gives an overall survey of ancient Chinese travel poetry and prose. Chapters 1 through 6 follow the chronology of Chinese history, introducing ancient Chinese travel writing from its emergence in the pre-Qin period and its initial development and changes in the Qin and Han; its marked development in the Wei, Jin, and Northern and Southern Dynasties; its grand flourishing in the Tang; its development and changes in the Song and Yuan; and its characteristics in the Ming and Qing. Each chapter is further divided into sections selecting landscape, pastoral, frontier, and historical-meditative poetry, ci, qu, couplets, songs, and travel prose, short fu, letters, diaries, and prefaces. The editors hope that students and general readers will, through this textbook, appreciate the outstanding works of ancient Chinese writers and travelers, take a "armchair tour" of the motherland's famous mountains and great rivers, gardens and architecture, towers and temples, learn about scenic spots and historical sites and the related legends and anecdotes, and thereby refine their aesthetic taste, gain historical knowledge for tourism activities and future work in tourism, and promote the development of the tourism industry and the improvement of the spiritual civilization of the whole nation.

Editor's review

Compiled by Professor Zhu Yaoting and published by Peking University Press, Ancient Chinese Travel Writing is a scholarly work that systematically surveys the literature of ancient Chinese travel writing. Unlike ordinary travel anthologies, it stands at the height of literary and cultural history, offering a clearly organized survey and accessible analysis of travel texts from the Wei and Jin through the Ming and Qing. With his deep grounding in history, Professor Zhu Yaoting not only guides readers through the grandeur of Li Daoyuan's Commentary on the Waterways Classic, the refinement of Liu Zongyuan's "Eight Records of Yongzhou," and the breadth of Xu Xiake's travel records, but also focuses on analyzing the spiritual world of ancient literati, their aesthetic sensibilities, and their distinctive ways of interacting with natural landscapes as embodied in these texts. Reading this book, you gain not only an elegant catalogue of mountains and waters but also a deep understanding of the tradition of "reading ten thousand books and traveling ten thousand miles" among ancient Chinese scholars and its cultural significance. It reveals how travel writing developed from geographical record into literary expression, and how it became a vehicle for expressing feelings and articulating philosophical thought. For readers who wish to go beyond superficial appreciation and understand the view of nature, landscape aesthetics, and literati spirit in traditional Chinese culture, this book offers a reliable and splendid guide.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a strong interest in ancient Chinese literature, especially the essay and travel-writing genres.
History and culture enthusiasts who wish to understand ancient social life and literati mentality through travel texts.
University students or teachers in literature and history, who may use it as a valuable reference and supplementary reading.
Travel enthusiasts eager for a deeper cultural perspective and historical depth beyond physical travel.

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking only light entertainment or modern travel guides.
Readers expecting the book to contain large amounts of full original travel texts rather than analysis and guided reading.

Reading tips

Read in chapter order to grasp the historical development of travel literature.
While reading, consult a map and match the geographical references in the text to enhance your sense of space.
For chapters or writers that interest you, follow the leads to read the original travel texts and cross-check them against the book.

About the publisher

Peking University Press China · Founded in 1979

Peking University Press is a comprehensive university press whose publishing areas cover classical literature, popular science, social culture, world history, Western philosophy, and culture. Its catalogue contains 6,031 titles, with representative books including A Dream of Red Mansions, Relativity: The Special and General Theory (15th Edition) (with Einstein's classic papers on unified field theory and other topics), Elements, Conics, The Aristocratic Families of the Eastern Jin, The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume I), The Philosophy of Mythology (Volume II), and The Origin of Continents and Oceans. Representative authors include Cao Xueqin, Zhou Ruchang, Albert Einstein, Euclid, Apollonius, Tian Yuqing, Schelling, and Xian Gang. The press has developed distinctive strengths in classical Chinese literature and in the translation of Western philosophical classics, while also covering scientific classics and social and cultural studies. As public information is limited, this description is based only on the books in the catalogue and offers no further extrapolation.

版权信息
丛书编委会
内容简介
作者简介
导言
一、什么是游记文学
二、游记文学的特点
（一）作家的群体性和风格的多样性
（二）关注现实和寄托理想
（三）记实和写意
三、游记文学的艺术特征
（一）片断性
（二）抒情性
（三）美感性
（四）知识性
（五）形式多样性
四、游记文学的两种主要体裁
（一）游记诗词
（二）游记散文
第一章先秦记游著作
一、先秦旅游活动与记游著作的产生
（一）什么是旅游
（二）先秦旅游活动与记游著作的产生
（三）先秦旅游活动分类
二、中国最早的游记著作
（一）《周王游行记》题解
（二）《周王游行记》的内容、性质和价值
第二章秦汉记游诗文
一、秦汉的“游观”
（一）秦汉旅游活动——“游观”
（二）秦汉旅游活动的特征
二、秦汉记游诗歌
（一）汉代乐府民歌《江南》
（二）曹操的记游诗《步出夏门行·观沧海》
（三）曹植的记游诗《名都篇》
三、秦汉游记散文
（一）汉赋中的游记片断
（二）《封禅仪记》评介
（三）曹操《步出夏门行·艳》
第三章魏晋南北朝记游诗文
一、魏晋南北朝记游诗
（一）陶渊明的田园诗
（二）谢灵运的山水诗
（三）鲍照的边塞诗《代出自蓟北门行》
（四）谢朓的山水诗
二、魏晋南北朝游记散文
（一）庐山诸道人《游石门诗序》
（二）孙绰《游天台山赋》
（三）陶渊明《桃花源记》
（四）鲍照《登大雷岸与妹书》
（五）陶弘景《答谢中书书》
（六）吴均的《与宋元思书》、《与顾章书》
（七）盛弘之《荆州记·三峡》
（八）郦道元《水经注·河水（华山、孟门山）》
（九）杨衒之《洛阳伽蓝记·永宁寺、景明寺》
（十）庾信《春赋》
（十一）法显《佛国记》
第四章唐朝记游诗文
一、唐朝记游诗
（一）杨炯《从军行》
（二）王勃《山中》、《滕王阁诗》
（三）卢照邻《曲池荷》、《长安古意》、《咏史》
（四）骆宾王《咏鹅》、《于易水送人》
（五）陈子昂《修竹篇》、《登幽州台歌》
（六）张若虚《春江花月夜》
（七）岑参《白雪歌送武判官归京》
（八）王昌龄《出塞》（其一）
（九）王之涣《凉州词》（其一）、《登鹳雀楼》
（十）孟浩然的山水田园诗
（十一）王维的山水田园边塞诗
（十二）李白的山水边塞诗
（十三）杜甫的山水田园怀古诗
（十四）崔颢的记游诗
（十五）祖咏的记游诗
（十六）刘长卿《逢雪宿芙蓉山（主人）》
（十七）韦应物《滁州西涧》
（十八）张继《枫桥夜泊》
（十九）韩愈《山石》
（二十）柳宗元的山水诗
（二十一）刘禹锡的山水诗、怀古诗
（二十二）白居易的山水诗
（二十三）杜牧的山水、咏史诗
（二十四）李商隐的记游诗
（二十五）温庭筠的山水诗、咏史诗
二、唐朝游记散文
（一）王勃的《滕王阁序》
（二）王维的《山中与裴秀才迪书》
（三）元结的《右溪记》
（四）白居易的《冷泉亭记》、《庐山草堂记》
（五）柳宗元的《永州八记》
（六）刘禹锡的《陋室铭》
（七）杜牧的《阿房宫赋》
（八）李翱的《来南录》
第五章宋元记游诗文
一、宋元记游诗、词、曲
（一）欧阳修的山水诗词
（二）王安石的山水咏史诗词
（三）苏轼的山水、怀古诗词
（四）李清照的记游词、咏史诗
（五）陆游的记游诗词
（六）杨万里的记游诗
（七）辛弃疾的山水田园、怀古咏史词
（八）元好问的记游诗词
（九）萨都剌的记游、怀古咏史诗词
（十）关汉卿的山水散曲
（十一）马致远的山水、怀古咏史散曲
（十二）张养浩的怀古散曲
（十三）乔吉的山水小令
二、宋元游记散文
（一）范仲淹的《岳阳楼记》
（二）欧阳修的《醉翁亭记》
（三）苏舜钦的《沧浪亭记》
（四）王安石的《游褒禅山记》
（五）苏轼的山水游记
（六）秦观的《游龙井记》
（七）孙觌的《鄱阳山水记》
（八）陆游的《入蜀记·过巫山》
（九）范成大的《峨眉山行记》（节选）
（十）罗大经的《游南中岩洞记》
（十一）杨瑀的《观海市记》
（十二）李孝光的《大龙湫记》
第六章明清记游诗文
一、明清记游诗、词、对联
（一）高启的记游诗
（二）刘基的记游词《眼儿媚·秋思》
（三）李攀龙的《白雪楼》
（四）王世贞的《赠梁公实谢病归》
（五）汤显祖的《即事寄孙世行、吕玉绳》
（六）陈子龙的《易水歌》
（七）夏完淳的词《一剪梅·咏柳》
（八）顾炎武的山水、怀古诗
（九）陈维崧的记游词《点绛唇》
（十）王士祯的《真州绝句》（选二首）
（十一）袁枚的记游诗
（十二）孔尚任的《泊石城水西门作》
（十三）吴敬梓的《观海》
（十四）朱彝尊的记游词
（十五）纳兰性德的记游词《菩萨蛮》
（十六）孙髯的昆明大观楼“古今第一长联”
二、明清游记散文
（一）宋濂的《游钟山记》
（二）刘基的《松风阁记》
（三）袁宏道的《虎丘（记）》
（四）张岱的《西湖七月半》
（五）徐宏祖的《游麻叶洞记》
（六）钱谦益的《游黄山记》（节选）
（七）王士禛的《登燕子矶记》（作者简介见本章第一节）
（八）袁枚的《游桂林诸山记》（作者简介见本章第一节）
（九）姚鼐的《登泰山记》
（十）郑日奎的《游钓台记》
（十一）恽敬的《游庐山记》
（十二）尤侗的《游虞山记》
（十三）王昶的《游珍珠泉记》
（十四）洪亮吉的《少寨洞记》
（十五）管同的《宝山记游》
（十六）梅曾亮的《游小盘谷记》
（十七）龚自珍的游记散文
主要参考书目

FAQ

Is this book a compilation of original ancient travel texts?

It is not a mere compilation of original texts. The book's main body is the author's systematic discussion and appreciation of travel writing through the ages; it cites many original passages as examples, but its core is scholarly survey and interpretation.

Do I need a strong command of classical Chinese to read it?

No. The author's analysis and interpretation are written in clear, fluent modern Chinese. The classical passages cited are explained in context, so ordinary readers should have no trouble understanding them—and may even improve their appreciation of classical Chinese in the process.

Is the book highly academic? Is it dry?

The book has a solid scholarly foundation and a rigorous structure, but its writing is not dry. The author skillfully weaves scholarly insights into vivid accounts of specific texts and historical backgrounds, making it both informative and readable.

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About the author

朱耀廷 Author

Zhu Yaoting is an author about whom limited public information is available. One work by this author is currently included in the collection, The Ancient Chinese Travelogue (Zhongguo Gudai Youji), commonly classified under travel. This work suggests that the author draws on the tradition of travel accounts and geographical observation in ancient China, organizing travelogue materials scattered across historical documents and presenting how people of earlier times observed landscapes, routes, distances, and local culture while on journeys. Such material involves both geographical knowledge and literary expression, allowing readers to learn about the character of travel in ancient times and the development of the travelogue as a genre. Because details such as dates of birth and death, place of origin, education, and career cannot be confirmed, this introduction does not address the author's personal life; it merely outlines the subject matter and orientation of the extant work, whose style tends toward the arrangement of historical sources and plain narration and which may serve readers interested in ancient Chinese travel culture.