A Record Of Cambodia: The Land And Its People
by Daguan Zhou /
2007 / English / Kindle
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Only one person has given us a first-hand account of the
civilization of Angkor. This is the Chinese envoy, Zhou Daguan, who
visited Angkor in 1296–97 and wrote
Only one person has given us a first-hand account of the
civilization of Angkor. This is the Chinese envoy, Zhou Daguan, who
visited Angkor in 1296–97 and wroteA Record of Cambodia: The
Land and Its People
A Record of Cambodia: The
Land and Its People after his return to China. To this day
Zhou’s description of the royal palace, sacred buildings, women,
traders, slaves, hill people, animals, landscapes, and everyday
life remains a unique portrait of thirteenth-century Angkor at a
time when its splendors were still intact.
after his return to China. To this day
Zhou’s description of the royal palace, sacred buildings, women,
traders, slaves, hill people, animals, landscapes, and everyday
life remains a unique portrait of thirteenth-century Angkor at a
time when its splendors were still intact.
Very little is known about Zhou Daguan. He was born on or near the
southeastern coast of China, and was probably a young man when he
traveled to Cambodia by boat. After returning home he faded into
obscurity, though he seems to have lived on for several decades.
Much of the text of Zhou’s book has been lost over the centuries,
but what remains gives us a lively sense of Zhou the man as well as
of Angkor.
Very little is known about Zhou Daguan. He was born on or near the
southeastern coast of China, and was probably a young man when he
traveled to Cambodia by boat. After returning home he faded into
obscurity, though he seems to have lived on for several decades.
Much of the text of Zhou’s book has been lost over the centuries,
but what remains gives us a lively sense of Zhou the man as well as
of Angkor.
In this edition, Peter Harris translates Zhou Daguan’s work
directly from Chinese to English to be published for the first
time. Earlier English versions depended on a French translation
done over a century ago, and lost much of the feeling of the
original as a result. This entirely new rendering, which draws on a
range of available versions of the Zhou text, brings Zhou’s many
observations vividly and accurately back to life. An introduction
and extensive notes help explain the text and put it in the context
of the times.
In this edition, Peter Harris translates Zhou Daguan’s work
directly from Chinese to English to be published for the first
time. Earlier English versions depended on a French translation
done over a century ago, and lost much of the feeling of the
original as a result. This entirely new rendering, which draws on a
range of available versions of the Zhou text, brings Zhou’s many
observations vividly and accurately back to life. An introduction
and extensive notes help explain the text and put it in the context
of the times.
