Transformative Journeys: Travel and Culture in Song China

312 Pages·2010·10.661 MB·English

by  Cong Ellen Zhang

Transformative Journeys
Transformative Journeys
Travel and Culture in Song China
Cong Ellen Zhang
University of Hawaii Press
Honolulu
◎ 2011 University of Hawaii Press
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
16 15 14 13 12 11 6 5 4 3 2 1
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zhang, Cong.
Transformative journeys : travel and culture in Song China / Cong Ellen Zhang.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and Index.
ISBN 978-0-8248-3399-2 (hardcover: alk. paper)
1. China—History—Song dynasty, 960-1279. 2. Scholars-Travel—China—History.
3. China_ Officials and employees_ Travel—History. 4. Travel in literature. 5. Elite
(Social sciences) I. Title.
DS75L3.Z4349 2011
306.4,819095109021—dc22
2010028740
University of Hawaii Press books are printed on acid-free
paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability
of the Council on Library Resources.
Designed by Wanda China
Printed by Edwards Brothers, Inc.
To my parents
and my late grandparents
Contents
Acknowledgments ix
Notes on Conventions xiii
Weights and Measures xv
Introduction: Travel Culture, and the Song Literati
CHAPTER 1
A Transient Life: Travel and the Song Literati 19
CHAPTER 2
The Infrastructure of Travel:
Water Routes and Official Highways 43
CHAPTER 3
Readying for Departure: Paperwork and Procedures
CHAPTER 4
Government Assistance for Official Travel:
Porter-Guards, Means ofTransport, and Lodging 83
CHAPTER 5
Rituals of Departure: Farewell Parties 111
CHAPTER 6
Travelers and Their Local Hosts:
Receptions, Entertainment, and Their Cost 130
CHAPTER 7
Sightseeing and Site Making: Visiting and Inscribing Placcs
CHAPTER 8
Elite Travel, Famous Sites, and Local History:
Huangzhou after Su Shi’s Time 180
viii CONTENTS
Epilogue: The Native, the Local, and the Empire 207
Abbreviations 211
Notes 217
Glossary 261
References 269
Index 289
Acknowledgments
I have always enjoyed reading travel literature. Tales of adventure, discov­
ery, and pilgrimage not only take me places I have never been or may never
go, they also delight me with fantastic stories about men and women of
incredible character. I have had the most fun reading thousands of pages of
poems, travel accounts, and essays composed by the Song (960-1279) men
featured in this book. For over a decade, their works guided me on many
imaginary trips, taking me Co some of the most celebrated sites China has
to offer. As I journeyed with them, these travelers constantly impressed me
with their erudition, curiosity, and ability to connect with the places and
people they encountered along the way. But above all, I was left with the
impression that their long trips across a vast country transformed the trav­
elers, and the country, in powerful ways. I can only hope that I have suc­
ceeded in capturing these transformations in the account given here.
Conducting the research and writing this book has also been a long
journey for me. It began as a dissertation at the University of Washington,
Seattle, and I'd like to thank the members of my dissertation committee,
professors Patricia Ebrey, Kent Guy, and Susan Hanley, for their support
of my choice of topic, their extensive comments on my research papers on
travel culture, and careful reading of draft chapters. The encouragement
and suggestions they offered motivated me to think big and ask larger
questions as I started revising the manuscript.
I feel extremely fortunate to have had Patricia Ebrey as my graduate
mentor. Pat has been an inspiring teacher and a role model. Over the years,
she has gone above and beyond the call of duty, caring for the development
of this project every step of the way. For all the questions she has answered,
corrections she has made, and suggestions she has given, I wish to express
my profound gratitude.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am indebted to friends and colleagues who have read and commented
on chapters, some in the form of conference papers, and the entire manu­
script at various stages of revision: Timothy Brook, John Chaffee, Charles
Hartman, Ron Dimberg, James Hargett, Lu Weijing, Brad Reed, Evelyn
Rawski, Helen Schneider, and Yao Ping. Ari Levine read the final draft
with great care and offered detailed comments, which I deeply appreciate.
Dahpon Ho and Kim Wishart went over the manuscript at different stages
and made it more readable. My colleagues in the history department at the
University of Virginia offered encouragement and were generous in sharing
their wisdom on writing and publishing. Many dear friends went through
the ordeal of completing this project with me, never hesitating to put aside
their own work to come to my rescue. For their steadfast moral support,
I thank Li Xuhong, Lu Weijng，Jennifer Rudolph, Helen Schneider, Kim
Wishart, Yao Ping, and Zhao Lingying.
I wish to express my appreciation for the wonderful staff at the Univer­
sity of Washington Library, the National Library in Beijing, the Harvard-
Yenching Library, and the University of Virginia Library. Without their
help and expertise, primary research for this project would have taken
much longer. Special thanks are due to Calvin Hsu at the University of Vir­
ginia library, who saved me much time by expediting the acquisition of the
办cm Songwcn and subscribing to the electronic version of the Siku quanshu.
The research and writing of this book were made possible by several
generous fellowships and grants. At the University of Washington, I was
supported by the Department of History’s Schwartz Scholarship and Ebba
Dahlin Fellowship, and the Hsiao Kung-chuan Fellowship at the Jackson
School of International Studies. Funding from the East Asia Center, School
of Arts and Sciences, the Teaching Resource Center at the University of Vir­
ginia aided in the completion of final revisions. Two grants from Research
Support in the Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at University of Vlr,
ginia funded a trip to the Harvard-Yenching Library, the maps used in this
book, and the image on the book jacket. Thanks are also due to Wendy
Robertson, who made the maps, and to the National Palace Museum in Tai­
pei for allowing me to use the image of Wu Yuanzhi's (active late twelfth
century) The Red Cliff.
The insightful and constructive comments of two anonymous review-
ers from the University of Hawai'i Press greatly helped me improve the
work. Patricia Crosby, Ann Ludeman, and their colleagues at the Univer­
sity of Hawaii Press deserve my special thanks. Their efficiency and profes­
sionalism have made the legendarily scary process of publication a smooth
and pleasant one. I am lucky to have had as my copy editor Terre Fisher,
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
whose careful work has made the book much more readable. All remaining
errors in the book are certainly my responsibility.
Finally, I wish to thank my husband Sun Baowen, our son Max, and
our extended families for their sacrifice and emotional support. Baowen
has changed jobs more than once as we moved for my career. Max serves
a constant reminder that this project is as old as he is. I dedicate this book
to my late yeye and nainai who perfected the art of being the most doting
grandparents and to my parents who instilled in me a love for learning and
interest in traveling the world.