Xie Qinggao 1765?-1821?

A native of Jiaying in eastern Guangdong, a region long frequented by foreign traders, Xie became a crew member on what was probably a British or Portuguese ship, after his own vessel sank in the open seas, he returned to Macau to make a living as an interpreter, having lost his eyesight. His journey is estimated to have taken place from 1782 to 1795. Prior to the Opium War, Record of the Seas, a slim volume based on an oral account of his travels, was one of China's most widely read world geographies.

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