Six Records of a Floating Life

Shen Fu spent much of his life travelling around China and living temporarily in a great number of cities and provinces across the country. His major excursions were always in the company of others and were usually undertaken in the course of his job as a “yamen” private secretary. Consequently, he had only ever been able admire remote natural areas from afar, never venturing too deep into the wilderness, which is one of his major regrets in life. This part of his text is an account of the travels he took and the places of note that he has visited over the course of his life.

As a youth, he accompanied his father on work assignments under different county magistrates. When Shen Fu was 15, they went to Shanyin, where Shen Fu studied under a respected teacher and was able to take trips into nature on his days off. One day, he had a servant set of firecrackers in a pavilion at the base of the Ho mountain. The following year, he accompanied his teacher to Hangzhou, visiting famous graves and admiring stunning scenery of mountains and lakes. After sitting one of the official examinations there, he and a fellow student went drinking together and exploring local caves.