A Privileged Beginning: The Making of an Unconventional Scholar

Born on January 5, 1587, in Jiangyin during the Ming Dynasty’s Wanli era, Xu Hongzu entered the world under auspicious circumstances. As the second son of wealthy landowner Xu Youmian, the infant seemed destined for comfort – the Xu family owned over 12,000 acres of land stretching across twenty kilometers. Yet this privileged birth would lead not to conventional success but to one of history’s most remarkable journeys of exploration.

Xu’s family history carried an unusual legacy. His great-grandfather Xu Jing had been implicated in the infamous 1499 imperial examination scandal that also tarnished the reputation of famed painter Tang Bohu (better known as Tang Yin). This family trauma created an enduring skepticism toward official careers that shaped young Xu’s upbringing. His father, rejecting suggestions to purchase an official position, preferred traveling with servants to admire nature – a passion that would profoundly influence his son.

Breaking With Tradition: The Birth of Xu Xiake

At fifteen, Xu made his sole half-hearted attempt at the imperial examination system, deliberately failing the preliminary “childhood test.” Rejecting the scholar-official path expected of wealthy young men, he declared his life’s ambition: “A true man should reach the azure sea at dawn and rest by lush mulberry trees at dusk.” His unconventional spirit caught the attention of Confucian scholar Chen Jiru, who noted how Xu always departed at sunrise and returned at sunset. Chen nicknamed him “Xiake” – “Cloud Walker” – a name Xu proudly adopted.

When Xu turned 22, tradition demanded he remain home to care for his aging mother. Yet in a remarkable display of maternal wisdom, Madam Wang crafted her son a “traveling hat,” encouraging his wanderlust while establishing their ritual: spring departures, autumn returns. This arrangement launched three decades of unprecedented exploration that would redefine China’s geographical understanding.

The Reality Behind the Legend: Xu’s Traveling Methods

Contrary to popular imagery of a solitary wanderer, Xu typically traveled with companions – servants, friends, or fellow scholars. His expeditions were meticulously prepared, though records reveal complex realities. The “Guangxi Travel Diary III” describes controversial incidents where Xu allegedly conscripted local women and children as porters after servants deserted, and detained villagers over lost property. These accounts, while debated by scholars, reveal important truths:

First, Xu’s journeys were collaborative efforts requiring substantial logistics. Second, the physical demands proved extreme – servants frequently abandoned him rather than face another day’s march through wilderness. Third, as family finances dwindled, Xu increasingly relied on local hospitality and even improperly used government courier stations during his later southwestern expedition.

Scientific Explorer Ahead of His Time

Beyond sightseeing, Xu conducted systematic geographical research with astonishing accuracy. His 1616 and 1618 ascents of Huangshan established him as the first to document now-famous sites like Bright Summit and Carp’s Back Ridge. Through careful observation and comparison, he correctly identified Lotus Peak (1,864m) as higher than nearby Celestial Capital Peak (1,810m) – a fact only confirmed by modern surveying equipment centuries later.

Xu’s hydrological investigations corrected ancient texts. Challenging the 2,000-year-old “Yu Gong” assertion that the Min River fed the Yangtze, Xu traced the Jinsha River’s origin to the Kunlun Mountains’ southern foothills. Modern surveys in 1978 confirmed the Tanggula Mountains’ Tuotuo River as the Yangtze’s true source, validating Xu’s general direction.

His limestone cave studies proved particularly groundbreaking. Surveying over 100 caves without instruments, Xu accurately described stalactite formation through water erosion and mineral deposition – concepts Europeans wouldn’t articulate until the 19th century. French speleologist Édouard-Alfred Martel later acknowledged Xu as “the earliest true cave expert.”

The Three Phases of a Life’s Work

Xu’s travels unfolded in distinct phases:

Early Wanderings (1609-1615): From age 22, he visited Taihu Lake and Mount Tai, building experience without detailed records.

Peak Explorations (1615-1635): Over two decades, Xu systematically documented journeys through Zhejiang, Fujian, and China’s sacred mountains – Song, Hua, Heng, and Wutai.

Final Expedition (1636-1640): At 50, Xu embarked on his ambitious southwestern journey to Yunnan and Guizhou. This culminating adventure brought both triumph and tragedy.

Trials of the Final Journey

The southwestern expedition tested Xu’s limits. His companion, monk Jingwen, died protecting their books during a river pirate attack. Honoring his friend’s wish, Xu carried Jingwen’s bones 1,000 li (500km) to Jizu Mountain – an ordeal memorialized in his writings.

Then, at journey’s end, Xu’s body failed. Unable to walk, local chieftains transported the ailing explorer 4,000 li (2,000km) home by litter. He would never travel again.

A Legacy Without Regret

Confined to his Jiangyin home, the 54-year-old explorer reflected: “Zhang Qian pioneered routes but never saw Kunlun; Xuanzang traveled west under imperial orders. I, a commoner in straw sandals, traced rivers to their sources, climbed Kunlun, explored the western regions, and inscribed my name in distant lands – I die without regret.”

Xu’s 600,000-word travelogue, compiled posthumously, revolutionized Chinese geography while achieving literary distinction. Joseph Needham praised its remarkably modern scientific approach in “Science and Civilisation in China.”

Today, China celebrates National Tourism Day on May 19 – the opening date of Xu’s first diary entry. More than just a patron saint of travelers, Xu Xiake endures as a symbol of intellectual courage, demonstrating how one individual’s relentless curiosity can expand an entire civilization’s understanding of its world.