In 1640, a man was seriously ill. He had to end the last trip of his life. Back home, people asked him, “You spent your whole life 101 the road. Do you regret it?”
“I 102 many fantastic places in China,” he replied. “People say I’m as great as Zhang Qian and Xuanzang. So I have no regrets at all.” This man was Xu Xiake, the 103 traveller in Chinese history.
From an early age, Xu dreamed of visiting China’s seas and 104. But at the time, it was very difficult to travel far. This didn’t stop him, however. At 22, he set out on his life’s journey. He travelled for about 30 years, and 105 his dream.
Xu made many geographical discoveries during his journey. Once, he visited Mount Huangshan. People then thought Tiandu Peak was 106 than Lianhua Peak. To find out the truth, Xu climbed 107 peaks. He discovered that Lianhua Peak gave a wider view, 108 it must be higher. He was right!
Xu recorded 109 travel experiences in his diary. This later became Xu Xiake’s Travel Notes. Thanks to this book, we can learn about 110 almost 400 years ago. “Exploring the unexplored” is the best description of Xu’s life.
