The Travel Diaries of Xu Xiake
An ancient Chinese geographic masterpiece, the travel Diaries of Xu Xiake was written by Xu Hongzu (1586-1641) during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644). Xu Hongzu, also known as Xu Xiake, recorded his travels and explorations from 1613 to 1639 in the form of a diary. The book is a literary masterpiece, a comprehensive travel encyclopedia, and an important work of ancient geographical science.
The book provides detailed records of the origins of mountains and rivers, the terrain and landforms, and flora, fauna, and minerals. It opened up a new path for observing and describing nature. A representative work of ancient Chinese geography, it focuses on field observations and explores the causes of natural geographic changes. It played an important role in the development of ancient Chinese geography and remains influential to this day. In addition, the book also includes detailed records of local trade, customs, towns and villages, ethnic relations, and folk religions. Expressed in beautiful language and covering a wide range of topics, the book has significant reference value for the study of Ming and Qing (1368-1911) history.
《徐霞客游记》
中国古代地理学名著《徐霞客游记》由明代徐弘祖（1586—1641） 著。徐弘祖，字振之，号霞客。《徐霞客游记》用日记体记载了作者自1613年至1639年间的旅行考察，是一部文学性强、内容丰富的旅游百科全书，更是一部重要的古代地理科学文献。
《徐霞客游记》详细记载了山川源流、地形地貌、动植矿物等内容，开启了中国地理学界系统观察自然、描写自然的新方向，是中国古代地理学面向实地考察，探索自然地理变化成因的代表作品，对中国古代地理学的科学化、系统化发展起到了重要作用，其影响至今尚存。《徐霞客游记》还详细记录了游历当地经济贸易、民风习俗、城镇村寨、民族关系、民间宗教等方面内容，文辞优美、包罗万象，对研究明清历史具有重要参考价值。
