ABSTRACT
A number of sources facilitate the writing of a biography of Xu Xiake. The most useful of these is the nianpu -+ -tJ (chronological biography), written by Ding Wenjiang T k0: (1887-1936) in 1928, as part of a new edition of the diaries.' Ding drew on a wealth of biographical material, including the Xu family genealogies. Although his work contains some errors, it has remained the most complete source. Recently, Chu Shaotang has produced a revised nianpu correcting mistakes in the light of new information.2 Li Chi's book on Xu Xiake contains a short biography, as well as an appendix by Chang Chun-shu summarising the main events of his life.3 There are, in addition, a number of recent Chinese works and, of course, Xu's own diaries and other writings.4 However, although the latter provide extensive coverage of the period from 1636 to 1640, when Xu Xiake travelled to southwestern China, his earlier shorter diaries on the famous mountains of north and east China, contain little biographical information.
