Riding the River Home

This book presents a complete and annotated English translation of the text ""Record of a Boat Trip to Wu"" (Wuchuan lu), a travel journal written by the famous Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279) government official and writer Fan Chengda (1126-1193). The journal describes a boat journey the author made in the summer and fall of 1177 from Chengdu (Sichuan) to his home near Suzhou (Jiangsu). Fan's trip covered a distance of approximately 1,700 English miles and took 122 days to complete. ""The Record of a Boat Trip to Wu"" is especially valuable because it provides detailed, first-hand descriptions of many aspects of the Song dynasty (960-1279) such as geography, history, literature, art, and religion. Perhaps most noteworthy are the author's lengthy and often fascinating accounts and assessments of scenic and historic sites he stopped to visit during the trip.