Yuan Gao, Yaqi Mo

Yuan Gao

May 05, 2026

Ferdinand von Richthofen, Zhejiang, Construction of geographical space.

In the sections of Ferdinand von Richthofen's Tagebücher aus China pertaining to Zhejiang, the author provides detailed descriptions of the province’s geology, landforms, climate, population, economy, and culture. However, these accounts are grounded not merely in the observations of a geographer and traveler, but also implicitly embody the perspective of a foreign colonial agent during the late Qing period. This paper analyzes Richthofen’s portrayal of Zhejiang through four spatial categories: natural space, labor space, cultural space, and colonial imaginary space. It seeks to interpret the relationship between geographical space and the author’s subjective construction, and to explore how Zhejiang was constructed under a colonialist vision.

© 2026, the Authors. Published by ISCCAC

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