Love of Nature

The Love of Nature: Hsü Hsia-k'o and his Early Travels, by Li Chi: I have enjoyed the diaries of Hsü Hsia-k'o for many years; never dilettantish, he was a veteran traveler and a thorough observer. The factual quality of his writing convinces me that his information is reliable as much as his disdain of affection, although often suggesting simplicity, ensures that his writing will always be fresh. Although all his diaries can be read with equal interest, those written during mountain visits are the most rewarding and important. They have a single focus and thus avoid the tediousness of, for example, the diaries written in Kweichow and Yünnan. Moreover, readers will find greater pleasure in the descriptions of the great mountains because their monasteries, academies and ruins, known through poetry and prose to generations of Chinese, form a vital part of China's cultural history. An awareness of this linkage should help readers in making their study of Chinese literature more intelligent and meaningful. Although the geographical information in these diaries is less important, a student of geography may find something of Interest. I have prepared this translation primarily, however, for the general reader interested in the natural scenery of China and for the student of literature concerned about a significant portion of the field in which Chinese literature was created

Chinese history and philosophy · History · Philosophy · Vietnamese History and Culture Studies