"Hailu 海錄 (Maritime records), Xie Qinggao 謝清高 (1765-1822). Xie boarded a trading vessel (probably Portuguese) and sailed to America, Europe, and Asia. On losing his eyesight, he returned home and dictated his recollections in 1820 to Yang Bingnan. See Kenneth Ch’en, “Hai lu: Forerunner of Chinese Travel Accounts of Western Countries,” MS 7: 208-26 (1942). The work indicates how little was known at the beginning of the nineteenth century in China about the West (contrast Japanese knowledge at this time about not only the West, but also China)." Cf. Wilkinson, Chinese history, a manual, Harvard University Press, 2000, p. 748.

Introduction: A Journey to the East -- A New Account of A Trip Around the Globe -- A Brief Account of the American Exposition -- The Origins of the American Exposition -- Some General Comments on the Fairgrounds -- The Main Building -- Machinery Hall -- The Art Gallery -- Agricultural Hall -- Horticultural Hall -- The American Government Building -- The Women's Pavilion -- The Office of the Exhibition Officials -- Notes on Sightseeing -- The American City of Philadelphia -- The American Capital of Washington -- The American City of Hartford -- The American City of New York -- Notes on Sightseeing -- The English Capital of London -- The French Capital of Paris -- The Visit of the Chinese Education Mission Students to the Centennial -- A Complete Account of the Actual Condition of the Chinese in America -- A Brief Account of the Suez Canal -- A Short Essay on Chinese and Foreign Merchants Abroad -- Getting Along in Western Countries: An Introduction to the Essentials -- A Few Words on Running Water -- A Few Words on Hotels -- Some Comments on Westerners Entertaining Guests -- Some Thoughts on Carriage Noise -- Diary of a Journey to the East -- A Few Words about the Map of the Globe -- From Shanghai to Yokohama -- From Yokohama to San Francisco --t From San Francisco to Philadelphia -- From Philadelphia to London -- From London to Marseilles -- From Marseilles Back to Shanghai.

"Li Gui's record of his epic 1876 journey marks China's first officially sanctioned eyewitness account of people and places around the world." "A representative to the U.S. Centennial in Philadelphia, Li Gui went on to style himself as the first Chinese official to circle the globe, and his travel diary offers a revealing window into the Chinese view of the West in the late nineteenth century. As the first full-length English translation of this landmark excursion, A Journey to the East provides a welcome addition to primary source material on this time period." "Li Gui's experiences traveling through the United States offer a unique perspective on the newest technological and urban developments of the day in Philadelphia, New York, Washington, D.C., and other major U.S. cities. In his day, these observations on Japan, the United States, Great Britain, France, and their colonial possessions helped the Chinese government construct a more accurate picture of imperial power and statecraft abroad. Later, the diary became required reading for reformers and revolutionaries from Li Hongzhang to Mao Zedong." "Li's journal also provides rich material for exploring a number of theoretical issues stemming from the Sino-foreign encounter. He devotes considerable space to debunking the views of his colleagues regarding the importance of technology, finance, and communication. Most striking of all are his thoughts on gender and education, which place him within the ranks of "progressive" thinkers in any nineteenth-century society."--Jacket.