Title: Records of Travels

Author: Du Huan (Tang Dynasty) 

Annotator: Zhang Yichun

Publisher: Sino-Culture Press

Edition: 1st Edition, August 2017

Format: 16 - mo Binding: Soft - hardcover

Printed Sheets: 13.25 Word Count: 120,000 characters

ISBN: 9787507547498

Price: 38.00 CNY

Records of Travels was written by Du Huan. After being captured in the Battle of Talas between the Tang Dynasty and the Abbasid Caliphate, he stayed in the Abbasid Caliphate for more than ten years. Based on his personal experiences, observations, and what he heard, this book is the earliest Chinese classic that records Islam and the social and historical conditions of related countries. The book describes the mountains, rivers, geography, climate, products, politics, economy, and local customs of the countries in West Asia and Central Asia under the rule of the Abbasid Caliphate at that time. Annotations on Records of Travels is the textual research and interpretation of the relevant content in Records of Travels by Mr. Zhang Yichun, a modern scholar, by referring to classics and historical records. With rich and detailed content, it has important historical and academic value.

Du Huan was a traveler in the Tang Dynasty of China, from Jingzhao (now Xi'an, Shaanxi Province). His birth and death years are unknown. In 751 AD (the 10th year of the Tianbao reign of the Tang Dynasty), he followed Gao Xianzhi to fight against the Abbasid army in the city of Talas and was captured. Subsequently, he traveled in West Asia and North Africa. In the early years of the Baoying reign (762 AD), he returned to China by merchant ship and wrote the book Records of Travels, which unfortunately has been lost. However, Du You's "Tongdian" quoted this book, and more than 1,500 characters have been preserved to this day.

Zhang Yichun (1913 - 1967), originally named Zhang Chong, also known as Zhang Xu, was from Ruian County, Zhejiang Province. In 1933, he was admitted to the Department of History and Geography at Shanghai Daxia University. From August 1943 to September 1945, he served as a lecturer in the Department of History at Fujian Union University. In 1952, recommended by his teacher Liang Yuandong, a great master of history, he taught in the Department of History at Shanxi University. Mr. Zhang Yichun was rigorous in his academic research and had many works. Annotations on Records of Travels is his representative work.