Inscribed Landscapes

Disciplines Literary Studies & Poetry Asian Literature

About the Book

Alongside the scores of travel books about China written by foreign visitors, Chinese travelers' impressions of their own country rarely appear in translation. This anthology is the only comprehensive collection in English of Chinese travel writing from the first century A.D. through the nineteenth. Early examples of the genre describe sites important for their geography, history, and role in cultural mythology, but by the T'ang dynasty in the mid-eighth century certain historiographical and poetic discourses converged to form the "travel account" (yu-chi) and later the "travel diary" (jih-chi) as vehicles of personal expression and autobiography. These first-person narratives provide rich material for understanding the attitudes of Chinese literati toward place, nature, politics, and the self.

The anthology is abundantly illustrated with paintings, portraits, maps, and drawings. Each selection is meticulously translated, carefully annotated, and prefaced by a brief description of the writer's life and work. The entire collection is introduced by an in-depth survey of the rise of Chinese travel writing as a cultural phenomenon. Inscribed Landscapes provides a unique resource for travelers as well as for scholars of Chinese literature, art, and history.

About the Author

Richard E. Strassberg is Professor of Chinese at the University of California, Los Angeles.

List of Illustrations
Preface
Editorial Notes
Introduction: The Rise of Chinese Travel Writing

I. MA TI-PO (n.d.)
From A Record of the Feng and Shan Sacrifices: The Supreme Mountain
2. WANG HSI-CHIH (ca. 303-ca. 361)
Preface to Collected Poems from the Orchid Pavilion
3. LAY SCHOLARS OF HERMITAGE MOUNTAIN (fl. ca. 400)
Preface and Poem on a Journey to Stone Gate
4. PAO CHAO (ca. 414-466)
A Letter to My Younger Sister from the Banks of Thunder Garrison
5. LI TAO-YUAN (d. 527)
From The Guide to Waterways with Commentary
Meng's Gate Mountain
Lotus Mountain
The Three Gorges
6. YANG HSUAN-CHIH (fl. ca. 528-547)
From The Temples of Lo-yang: The Bazaar of Lo-yang
7. HSUAN-TSANG (ca. 600-664)
From A Record of the Western Region: The Land of Baluka
8. WANG PO (ca. 650-ca. 676)
Preface to Poems from the Pavilion of the Prince ofT'eng
9. WANG WEI (701-761)
A Letter from the Mountains to the "Cultivated Talent" P'ei Ti
IO. YUAN CHIEH (719-772)
The Right-hand Stream
The Winter Pavilion
My Own Terrace
11. HAN YU (768-824)
The Pavilion of Joyous Feasts
The 1-ch'eng Station
12. LI AO (772-836)
Diary of My Coming to the South
13. PO CHU-I (772-846)
The Cottage
Preface to Poems from the Cave of the Three Travelers
14. LIU TSUNG-YUAN (773-819)
Eight Pieces from Yung Prefecture
I. My First Excursion to West Mountain
2. Flatiron Pond
3. The Little Hill West of Flatiron Pond
4. To the Little Rock Pond West of the Little Hill
5. Yiian Creek
6. Stony Brook
7. Rocky Stream
8. Little Rock Citadel
Preface to Poems from Dimwit's Stream
15. LIU K'AI (947-1000)
Flat-Top Mountain
16. FAN CHUNG-YEN (989-I052)
The Pavilion of Yiieh-yang
17. OU-YANG HSIU (1007-1072)
The Pavilion of the Old Drunkard
The Pavilion of Joyful Abundance
18. SU SHUN-CH'IN (1008-1048)
The Temple of the Moon-in-the-Water at Grotto
Mountain in Su-chou
19. WANG AN-SHIH (1021-1086)
The Mountain Where Hui-pao Meditated
20. SHEN K'uo (1031-1095)
Geese Pond Mountain
21. SU SHIH (1037-1101)
Red Cliff I
Red Cliff II
Stone Bells Mountain
From Tung-p'o's Forest of Jottings
Sandy Lake
An Evening Stroll to the Temple That Receives the Heavenly
An Account for Kuo of Our Visit to Mount White Water
22. SU CH'E (1039-1112)
The Delightful Pavilion of Huang Prefecture
23. CH'IN KUAN (1049-1100)
Dragon Well I
Dragon Well II
24. LU YU (1125-1210)
From A]ourney into Shu: The Cave of the Three Travelers
25. FAN CH'ENG-TA (1126-1193)
From Diary of a Boat Trip to Wu: Eyebrows Mountain
26. CHU HSI (1130-1200)
The Mountain a Hundred Chang High
27. YEH-LU CH'u-TS'AI (1189-1243)
From Record of a journey to the West
28. YUAN HAO-WEN (1190-1257)
A Trip to Chi-nan
29. MA KO (fl. ca. 1224-1239)
Dragon Mountain
30. CHOU MI (1232-1298)
From Recollectionso f Wu-Zin:O bserving the Tidal Bore
31. TENG MU (1247-1306)
Snow Gorge Mountain
32. SA-TU-LA (SA T'IEN-HSI, ca. 1300-ca. 1380)
Dragon Gate
33. SUNG LIEN (1310-1381)
Bell Mountain
34. LIU CHI (1311 -1375)
The Wind-in-the-Pines Pavilion I
The Wind-in-the-Pines Pavilion II
35. KAO CH'l (1336-1374)
Flat-Top Mountain
36. CHANG CHU-CHENG (1525-1582)
Transverse Mountain
37. WANG SHIH-CHEN (1526-1590)
Chang's Cave
38. YUAN HUNG-TAO (1568-1610)
Tiger Hill
Heaven's Eyes Mountain
An Evening Stroll to the Six Bridges to A wait the Moon
39. CH'IEN CH'IEN-I (1582-1664)
From Yellow Emperor Mountain
40. HSU HUNG-TSU (1586-1641)
From The Travel Diaries of Hsu Hsia-k'o
Terrace of Heaven Mountain
Seven Stars Cavern
41. CHANG TAI (ca. 1597-ca. 1679)
From Dreamlike Memories from the Studio of Contentment
The Juniper in the Temple of Confucius
An Inn in T'ai-an
West Lake at the Midsummer Festival
The Riverside Houses Along the Ch'in-huai
Romance at Twenty-four Bridges
The Y ii Garden
The Relic at King Asoka Temple
42. KU YEN-WU (1613-1682)
Five Terraces Mountain
43. CHU 1-TSUN (1629-1709)
The Chin Temple
44. SHAO CH'ANG-HENG (1637-1707)
An Evening Stroll to Solitary Hill
45. K'UNG SHANG-JEN (1648-1718)
Stone Gate Mountain
46. TAI MING-SHIH (1653-1713)
Diary of a journey North in the Year I-hai
47. FANG PAO (1668-1749)
Geese Pond Mountain
48. YUAN MEI (1716-1798)
Yellow Dragon Mountain
Yellow Emperor Mountain
The Cascade Pavilion at Gorge River Temple
49. YUN CHING (1757-1817)
Hermitage Mountain
50. KUNG TZU-CHEN (1792-1841)
Passing through Y ang-chou Again in the Sixth Month of the Year Chi-hai
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Glossary-Index
42. KU YEN-WU (1613-1682)
Five Terraces Mountain
43. CHU 1-TSUN (1629-1709)
The Chin Temple
44. SHAO CH'ANG-HENG (1637-1707)
An Evening Stroll to Solitary Hill
45. K'UNG SHANG-JEN (1648-1718)
Stone Gate Mountain
46. TAI MING-SHIH (1653-1713)
Diary of a journey North in the Year I-hai
47. FANG PAO (1668-1749)
Geese Pond Mountain
48. YUAN MEI (1716-1798)
Yellow Dragon Mountain
Yellow Emperor Mountain
The Cascade Pavilion at Gorge River Temple
49. YUN CHING (1757-1817)
Hermitage Mountain
50. KUNG TZU-CHEN (1792-1841)
Passing through Y ang-chou Again in the Sixth Month of the Year Chi-hai