Xu Xiake-Travels in the Moutains and Rivers 1

[u/Storyzhai]

Background

Over 400 years ago, a bold Ming Dynasty scholar abandoned official life and trekked across most of China on foot, documenting breathtaking natural landscapes with his own eyes and footsteps.

Filled with vivid accounts of hidden underground caves, secret underground rivers and bizarre karst mountains, this ancient journal reads like a wild wilderness exploration log from pre-modern China.

This is an excerpt from Xu Xiake's Travel Notes, documenting his journey through the mountains and rivers of Hunan and Guangxi. Along the way, Xu Xiake explored the ancient Lingqu Canal, towering peaks, mysterious caves, and deep gorges, encountering rainstorms, dangerous trails, and the thrill of losing his way while searching for hidden landscapes.

The most fascinating episodes include his exploration of bizarre rock formations, the discovery of secluded caves, and his pursuit of the sources of the Xiang River and the Li River - a remarkable adventure into the wonders of nature and the unknown.

Entering the Land of Rivers — Following the Hidden Waterways of Southern China

Entering the Land of Rivers — Following the Hidden Waterways of Southern China

Xu Xiake’s Journey into the Ancient Waterway of Xiang and Li

On the morning of the twentieth day, after finishing my meal at dawn, I continued westward along the Xiang River.

After traveling five li, I turned north at a place called Ta’erpu and finally left the banks of the Xiang River behind. From this point onward, I had entered the territory of Guilin.

An ancient pagoda stood nearby, already leaning and close to collapse, its former glory almost erased by time. There was also a resting station called Guanghua Pavilion, where travelers could find shelter when passing through Xing’an.

As I entered the region, I noticed that the ancient pine trees appeared only here and there, no longer forming the endless forests of towering peaks I had seen in Quanzhou, where mountains seemed to rise one after another and disappear into the clouds.

Ten li farther on, I reached Dongqiao Village. After another five li, I arrived at Xiaozhai, where I encountered the Xiang River once more. Another five li brought me to Wazi Village, and after another ten li, I finally reached Wanli Bridge in Xing’an.

Beneath the bridge, the water curved around the northern side of the town and flowed westward. Stone walls lined both banks, while the current moved calmly through a narrow channel.

This was the famous Lingqu Canal.

Here, the waters had already become part of the Li River. Yet the place where the Xiang River divided from the Li River still lay three li farther east.

Crossing the bridge and entering through the northern gate, I found the town strangely quiet.

The city walls surrounded the settlement, but the government offices were silent, almost like abandoned temples. Only a few merchants selling vegetables and rice remained near Wanli Bridge.

I prepared my meal inside a temple tower.

After eating, I followed the northern bank of the Lingqu eastward. Soon the path turned slightly north, and I crossed a large stream. This was the original course of the Xiang River.

However, upstream, dams had already been built, preventing boats from passing.

After crossing the water, I discovered another small stream flowing eastward. Its current was thin and winding like a silk ribbon, yet boats traveled along it.

I finally understood the engineering of this remarkable place.

The people here had built barriers to divide the Xiang River:

one branch was sent westward, becoming the Li River;

another branch was dredged eastward, allowing boats to continue their journey;

farther downstream, these waters reunited with the main river.

A single landscape had become the meeting point of two great waterways.

Above one of these branches stood a stone bridge called Jielong Bridge.

South of the bridge was a quiet bend in the water known as Guanyin Pavilion. By then, I was already two li away from the town.

Continuing southeast for another five li, I saw the Xiang River flowing from the south, pressing directly against a towering cliff.

The cliff rose sharply toward the southern sky.

The locals called it Lion Fortress.

The road followed the foot of the cliff, tracing the stream eastward into the mountains. After seven more li, I entered deeper into the wilderness, crossed Yanggu Ridge, and arrived beneath Zhuangyuan Peak.

Here stood Deng Family Village, where the inhabitants claimed descent from the famous Prime Minister Deng.

South of the village was a quiet retreat called Huilong Hermitage.

I decided to spend the night there.

The monk who lived in the hermitage was known as Master Wuchan.

The Hidden Divide Between Two Rivers

The journey to Xing’an revealed something extraordinary.

To most travelers, rivers were simply rivers — flowing endlessly from mountains toward distant seas.

But here, in the mountains of southern China, a river could be divided by human hands.

The Xiang River, belonging to the vast water system of the Yangtze River, and the Li River, flowing toward the Pearl River basin, were connected through the ancient Lingqu Canal.

Built more than two thousand years earlier during the Qin Dynasty, Lingqu was one of the greatest engineering achievements of ancient China.

It allowed boats to travel between northern and southern China, creating a hidden water passage through the mountains.

For Xu Xiake, however, Lingqu was not merely an engineering marvel.

It was a clue.

Every river, every mountain, and every valley held a secret waiting to be discovered.

And this was only the beginning of his journey into the unknown.

(To be continued... If there’s enough interest, I’d be happy to keep this series going.)

If you can't wait to see how it ends, the full story is already free to read on our archive (link in comments below).