Grand Canal, Great River: The Travel Diary of a Twelfth-Century Chinese Poet

In July 1170, a Chinese poet, politician and historian made a journey from east to west China. Lu You (pronounced 'loo yo') kept a daily record of his experiences: the people he met, the unfolding landscape and the famous historical sites he visited. What emerges is a detailed panorama of 12th-century China, an exotic mixture of travelogue, literature and politics. This new modern translation by Philip Watson of the whole of the diary makes the entirety of this fascinating work of literature accessible to the general reader for the first time, and his detailed commentary fills in all the essential background information. Contemporary paintings and other artworks, together with photographs of the places described, complete this beautifully produced book, which brings the world of Lu You dramatically to life.