Zhufan zhi

work by Zhao Rukuo

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June 24, 2026

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Zhufan zhi is a two-volume work by Zhao Rukuo, a Chinese trade official of the Song dynasty (960–1279). Written in 1225, it is a significant account of foreign lands and goods known during that era. Zhao Rukuo, who served as superintendent of customs in Quanzhou, gathered information from Arab, Indian, and other merchants.1

The work is divided into two volumes. The first volume describes places such as Japan, Korea, India, Africa, the Arab lands, and even Europe, with descriptions becoming less reliable for distant regions. Notably, it includes an early reference in Chinese literature to northwest Europe. The second volume details various goods imported into China from abroad. Zhufan zhi highlights the extensive trade between China and other countries during the Song dynasty and the Chinese knowledge of the world, including Europe, before increased contact during the Mongol era.1

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Zhao Rukuo
…trade official whose two-volume work Zhufan zhi (“Description of the Barbarians”) is one of the best-known and most wide-ranging accounts of foreign places and goods at the time of the Song dynasty (960–1279).
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…trade official whose two-volume work Zhufan zhi (“Description of the Barbarians”) is one of the best-known and most wide-ranging accounts of foreign places and goods at the time of the Song dynasty (960–1279).
Read More