Three Years' Wanderings in the Northern Provinces of China: Including a visit to the tea, silk, and cotton countries

In Short

This narrative details a three-year botanical expedition across the northern provinces of China following the Treaty of Nanking. Travelling through Hong Kong, Amoy, Chusan, Ningpo, Foo-chow-foo, and Shanghai, the author gathers rare living plants, seeds, and agricultural intelligence for the Horticultural Society of London. Along the way, he encounters local populations, observes native farming methods, and demystifies long-held European misconceptions regarding Chinese tea production. The work has endured as a primary account of nineteenth-century botanical exploration, providing an authentic, detail-rich view of Chinese rural life, trade, and natural landscapes during a pivotal era of opening foreign trade.

The Story

The account opens with an assessment of the state of European knowledge regarding China, pointing out that existing reports are frequently based on hearsay, imaginative leaps, or unreliable information gathered at coastal ports. Arriving at Hong Kong, the author inspects the island's terrain, variable climate, and local flora, noting both its natural harbor and the distinct unhealthiness of the early British settlement. From Hong Kong, the journey proceeds northward along the coast to Amoy, navigating treacherous waters and observing the coastal trade, local customs, and the remnants of recent military conflict on islands like Koo-lung-soo.

As the expedition moves further north to Chusan, Ningpo, and Shanghai, the focus expands into a systematic survey of regional agriculture and horticulture. In the fertile plains and hill country, the author studies staple crops, including hemp, oil plants, tallow trees, and cotton. He observes how Chinese farmers maximize land productivity through continuous cropping, rich soil management, and ingenious irrigation tools like hand- and foot-operated water-wheels.

A central objective of the travel involves demystifying the culture and processing of the tea plant. Travelling inland despite local restrictions, mountain passes, and official hesitation, the author visits tea farms in both northern green tea districts and the southern black tea hills near Foo-chow-foo. By collecting and comparing living specimens, he confirms that both black and green teas in these major export regions derive from the same species, Thea viridis, with differences in flavor and appearance stemming entirely from processing methods. He also documents the practice among Canton manufacturers of artificially coloring tea leaves destined for foreign markets using prussian blue and gypsum.

Throughout the journey, transit along China's dense network of rivers and canals presents constant navigational challenges. The author frequently travels in small boats, occasionally relying on firm demands or firearm demonstrations to secure passage across deep waterways when terrified boatmen attempt to flee. Despite these friction points, interactions with local inhabitants, shopkeepers, and Buddhist monks remain largely peaceful and cooperative. At the Tein-tung temple near Ningpo, the author lodges among the priests, sharing meals and observing their evening rituals.

The expedition culminates near Shanghai with the discovery of valuable ornamental and agricultural specimens, including massive peach varieties and winter-blooming perennials. Bringing all gathered collections together, the author packs living plants into specialized glazed cases to ensure survival during the sea voyage. The narrative concludes with a successful return journey via Canton and the Thames to London, where the imported plants are safely established in the gardens at Chiswick.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins Landing at Hong Kong, the author evaluates the island's rocky topography, extreme seasonal weather changes, and indigenous flora. He visits local authorities and observes early foreign trade developments.

Navigating the northern coast Sailing through the Formosa Channel, coastal gales force temporary detours into Chimoo and Chinchew Bays. The author explores Chusan and Tinghae, documenting dwarf tree cultivation and local market language.

Inland river journeys Navigating the canal networks around Shanghai, the author encounters frightened boatmen and dense crowds. He relies on local transport to reach interior agricultural plains and cotton plantations.

Uncovering the tea districts Ascending the mountain passes near Foo-chow-foo, the author examines black tea plantations. He proves that Thea viridis yields both black and green tea in these northern regions.

Living in the temples While collecting specimens near Ningpo, the author stays upstairs in a Buddhist temple at Tein-tung. He adjusts to local customs, eats with chopsticks, and observes the monks' nightly devotions.

Returning to England After securing eighteen glazed Wardian cases of living plants in Shanghai and Canton, the author sails home. The collection arrives safely in London to be cultivated at the Chiswick gardens.

The People

Robert Fortune The author and chief explorer, whose primary objective is collecting rare plants, seeds, and agricultural knowledge across China. Facing hostile weather, armed robbers, and timid boatmen, he maintains a steady focus on his botanical mission, ultimately succeeding in shipping hundreds of healthy specimens back to Europe.

Captain Hall and Rev. Mr. Abele Companions met during the Hong Kong and coastal stays. Captain Hall provides botanical assistance around the island, while Mr. Abele, an American missionary, assists with language translation and introductions to local mandarins.

The Mandarin Host A senior official living in the suburbs of Amoy, whose residence and gardens the author visits. He receives foreign guests in an outer court with pipes, tea, and formal hospitality alongside his inferior officers.

The Tein-tung Priests Monks at a mountain temple near Ningpo who harbor the author during his collecting trips. They share their hall, offer tea, and perform nightly devotional chants accompanied by bronze bells and gongs while their guest dines.

In Its Own Voice

"From the tops of the mountains the view is grand and imposing in the extreme; mountain is seen rising above mountain, rugged, barren and wild..."

The author reflects on the rugged scenery of Hong Kong's heights while looking out over the crowded shipping bay.

"I was now in a dilemma, and I scarcely knew how to get out of it."

Trapped by massive, curious crowds along the canal bank in Chapoo, the author considers how to secure passage without swamping the local boats.

"The plants arrived in excellent order, and were immediately conveyed to the garden of the Horticultural Society at Chiswick."

The author records the successful end of his three-year mission as his living specimens reach English soil intact.

What It's Really About

Beneath the practical log of travels and plant lists, the book examines the empirical reality of nineteenth-century China versus Western preconceptions. It challenges long-held errors about Chinese botany, agriculture, and manufacturing, replacing romanticized tales with direct field observation. The narrative also captures the practical friction of mid-century cultural encounters—where trade, language barriers, mutual suspicion, and scientific curiosity collide along the newly opened treaty ports.

Why Read It Today

This travelog offers an authentic, ground-level view of rural China during a transformative historical moment. Rather than relying on official reports or distant commentary, the author provides a vivid first-hand record of traditional farming, canal travel, market life, and local craftsmanship. Readers interested in historical botany, agricultural history, or Asian travel literature will appreciate the clear, objective descriptions of plant species, soil conditions, and dwarfing techniques.

The prose remains direct, practical, and highly readable, though modern readers will notice nineteenth-century imperial attitudes, occasional cultural generalizations, and casual references to gunboat diplomacy during tense encounters. What stays with you is the sheer tenacity required to transport delicate living plants across global oceans before modern refrigeration, alongside quiet, evocative scenes of lodging in mountain temples amidst echoing gongs.