Embark on an 18th‑century journey through China — a detailed Geographical, Commercial, and Political history that combines travel narrative with a broad survey of Chinese life.
This edition presents a richly drawn portrait of imperial China, from its grand cities and canals to its everyday customs, sciences, crafts, and governance. It also frames the country through the lens of early modern exploration, including the perspectives of Jesuit missionaries whose reports helped shape the narrative.
Explore a wide range of topics, including:
- The life of Confucius and the shaping of Chinese thought
- Descriptions of major places like Nanking, Canton, and Peking
- How China’s roads, waterways, and administration keep trade and travel moving
- Language, writing, grammar, and everyday speech
- Agriculture, plants, trees, and the country’s material culture
- The empire’s money, trade, ships, and commerce, with maps and copperplates
What you’ll experience in this edition
- Clear, traveler’s observations about geography, infrastructure, and public works
- A window into late medieval and early modern China’s political and social organization
- A carefully compiled account drawn from multiple contemporary sources
Ideal for readers of travel writing and early anthropology, as well as those curious about China’s history, culture, and trade networks in a pre-modern era. This edition offers both a historic travelogue and a foundational survey of a vast nation.