Speaker’s abstract: A large body of literary texts survives from the imperial period in China that is often identified as “travel literature” (in modern Chinese: youji wenxue 游記文學). Its prevalence and importance notwithstanding, this form of writing has not received serious critical attention from scholars. The main purpose of this lecture is to suggest answers to the following questions: (1) What is Chinese “travel literature” and how should it be defined?; (2) Who wrote travel literature in imperial China and why?; (3) Is there a “canon” of Chinese travel literature? If so, then what specific texts constitute that canon and why?; (4) What literary qualities inform the very “best” Chinese travel writing?; and (5): what is the role of youji in the overall development of writing about place in imperial China?

Free and open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.