Xu Xiake

Xu Xiake (徐霞客, py. X? Xi?k?) (January 5, 1587 (November 27 in the Chinese calendar) - 1641) was a descriptive Ming Chinese travel writer and geographer noted for his bravery and humility. He visited southwestern China extensively for years.

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With an ancestry is in Jiangxi, he was born Xu Hongzu (宏祖), as the second son of Xu Yu'an (徐豫庵, 1545-1694) and Wang Ruren (王孺人, 1545-1625). It was often commented that it was his mother's encouragement to travel that shaped Xu's predilections. His sobriquet is Zhenzhi (振之). Xiake was an alternate sobriquet (別號) given to him by his friend Chen Jiru (陳繼儒, 1558-1639) and it means "one who is in the sunset clouds". His other friend, Huang Daozhou (黃道周, 1585-1646), also gave Xu an alternate sobriquet: Xiayi (霞逸), meaning "untrammelled in the sunset clouds".

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He travelled with a servant called Gu Xing (顧行).

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January 5: January 5 is the 5th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. 360 days (361 in leap years) remain in the year after this day....

1587: 1587 was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Sunday of the Julian calendar....

Geographer: A geographer is a scientist whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's physical environment and human habitat....