1641day.year
Xu Xiake
(1587 - 1641)
Chinese geographer and explorer
Chinese geographer and explorer
Chinese geographer and explorer celebrated for his extensive travel diaries and contributions to cartography and natural history.
Xu Xiake (1587–1641) was a Ming dynasty geographer, traveler, and explorer famous for his detailed travel essays, known as the "Xu Xiake Travel Diaries".
Over three decades, he journeyed across China’s mountains, rivers, deserts, and remote regions, mapping uncharted territories.
His writings combined observations in geography, geology, meteorology, and ethnography, enriching Chinese cartography and science.
Despite facing illnesses, bandit attacks, and natural hazards, his passion for exploration drove him to cover vast distances on foot.
His surviving diaries remain invaluable references for historians and scientists studying Ming-era China.
1641
Xu Xiake