Du Huan was a Chinese traveler and geographer who lived during the Tang Dynasty (618-907). He is best known for his travelogue, the “Description of the Barbarians of the West”, which is one of the earliest surviving works of Chinese travel literature.
Du Huan was born in 736 AD in the city of Chang’an, the capital of the Tang Dynasty. He was a member of the imperial family and was educated in the Confucian classics. He was also a talented musician and was known for his skill in playing the guqin, a seven-stringed zither.
In 762, Du Huan was sent on a diplomatic mission to the Abbasid Caliphate in Baghdad. During his travels, he visited many countries in the Middle East, including Syria, Palestine, and Egypt. He also visited the Byzantine Empire and the Umayyad Caliphate in Spain. He wrote about his travels in his travelogue, the “Description of the Barbarians of the West”.
In his travelogue, Du Huan wrote about the customs and cultures of the people he encountered. He described the architecture, clothing, food, and religious practices of the various countries he visited. He also wrote about the political and economic systems of the countries he visited. He was particularly interested in the trade routes and the goods that were traded between the countries.
Du Huan also wrote about the geography of the countries he visited. He described the mountains, rivers, and deserts of the Middle East and the Mediterranean. He also wrote about the flora and fauna of the countries he visited.
Du Huan’s travelogue was an important source of information for later Chinese travelers and geographers. It was also an important source of information for European travelers and geographers. Du Huan’s work was translated into Latin in the 16th century and was widely read in Europe.
Du Huan’s travelogue is an important source of information about the history of the Middle East and the Mediterranean during the Tang Dynasty. It is also an important source of information about the customs and cultures of the people of the Middle East and the Mediterranean during the Tang Dynasty.
Du Huan’s travelogue is an important source of information about the history of Chinese travel literature. It is also an important source of information about the history of Chinese geography. Du Huan’s work is an important source of information about the history of the Tang Dynasty and the history of Chinese exploration.