Record of a Mission to the West

刘郁Jul 2024

4.3

Word count: 2.8K words
Chapters: 3

Summary

Traditional Chinese thought and culture have a long and enduring history, marked by a high degree of originality, inventiveness, and literary quality. Early intellectual forms are highly distinctive: religious theology, classical texts of Chinese medicine, ancient military strategy, Confucianism, Daoism, Buddhism, and the Hundred Schools of Thought, feng shui and metaphysics, the Twenty-Four Histories, and customs and geography—all are vast and profound in content.

This series, "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts," preserves the original appearance of the books, with a focus on preserving and transmitting traditional Chinese thought and culture. By reading the literary essence left by ancient sages, readers may cultivate their temperament and subtly come to appreciate the classics of Chinese learning.

Editor's review

Xishi Ji (Record of a Mission to the West) is a travel record written by Liu Yu of the Yuan dynasty, documenting what he saw and heard while accompanying an envoy westward. It is one of the important sources for studying East-West communications and the geography of the Western Regions during the Mongol-Yuan period. This edition is included in the series "Essence of Classical Chinese Culture: Original Texts," which preserves the original appearance of the book and focuses on preserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture. Though brief, the work contains observations on itinerary, geography, customs, and local products, opening a window for readers onto the Western Regions in the Yuan period. Its value lies both in its geographical and communications-historical material and in the narrative mode of the travel-record genre itself, which can be read alongside other travel records of the same period. It is suitable as primary-source reading for those interested in the history of East-West communications and the historical geography of the Yuan dynasty, and also as an extended reading within a series of traditional-culture primary texts. Readers should pay attention to editions and annotations, and avoid simply mapping modern geographical concepts onto ancient place names.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Specialist readers studying East-West communications and historical geography during the Mongol-Yuan period
Readers of history and literature interested in ancient travel-record and itinerary texts
Traditional-culture readers who wish to approach Yuan-era observations of the Western Regions through primary sources

Not a good fit for

Beginners seeking a complete narrative history of the Yuan dynasty
Readers who prefer vernacular storytelling and lack patience for geographical textual criticism

Reading tips

First read the whole text to grasp the itinerary, then mark relevant place names and routes against a historical map.
Read alongside other westward travel records of the same period, comparing viewpoints and differences in what is recorded.
Keep notes on doubtful place names and names of things, and consult annotations or related scholarship before drawing conclusions.

版权信息
《四库全书西使记》提要
钦定四库全书西使记

FAQ

What kind of book is Xishi Ji?

It is a travel record written by Liu Yu of the Yuan dynasty, documenting what he saw and heard while accompanying an envoy westward, covering itinerary, geography, customs, and local products. It is one of the important primary sources for studying East-West communications and the geography of the Western Regions during the Mongol-Yuan period.

What background knowledge is needed to read Xishi Ji?

A basic grasp of Yuan history and historical geography is helpful, along with a general sense of the pattern of East-West communications in the Mongol-Yuan period. If place names are unfamiliar, reading with a historical map and related annotations will noticeably reduce the difficulty.

Can this book be casually browsed like a travelogue?

It can be read as a travel record, but its place names, names of things, and itinerary notes have a documentary character, and casual browsing may cause key information to be missed. To gain something from it, it is best to read with maps and annotations and with questions in mind.

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About the author

刘郁 Author

Liu Yu is an author about whom little is known; public information is limited, and his nationality, dates of birth and death, and educational background remain to be verified. At present, only one work by him is included in the collection, the Xishi Ji (Record of a Mission to the West), which is classified under social sciences. The Xishi Ji is organized around observations made during a journey to the west and belongs to the genre of travel writing. Its contents concern what the author encountered on the road and the local customs and conditions along the way, reflecting his attention to and organization of firsthand observations. Works of this kind often offer reference value in geography, history, and folklore, and can be consulted by those studying transportation, travel, and social conditions of the period. Because relevant records are insufficient, Liu Yu's other experiences, acquaintances, and writings remain difficult to establish, and readers of the Xishi Ji should understand it in light of the specific edition and background materials.