Title
China, in a series of views, displaying the scenery, architecture, and social habits, of that ancient empire
(entrance to the Temple)
Description
China, in a series of views, displaying the scenery, architecture, and social habits, of that ancient empire.
Allom’s very popular illustrated travel books are a late reflection of the earlier tradition of travel writing but also demonstrate its increasing obsolescence. By the 1840s the western colonial presence in Asia meant that there was no longer any need to rely on a handful of primary sources for knowledge of most Asian countries, with the partial exception of Japan until the Meiji period (1868 – 1912) and Tibet before the Younghusband invasion of 1903-4. Highlighting this book’s transitional nature, it is uncertain whether Allom visited China himself or (like Picart), drew on the texts and images of those who had.