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Review: A Record of Cambodia by Zhou Daguan

“A Record of Cambodia: The Land and its People” by Zhou Daguan

Translated by Peter Harris – Purchase this book on Amazon

Review by Kent Davis

zhou daguan a record of cambodia 195x300 Review: A Record of Cambodia by Zhou Daguan

"A Record of Cambodia: Its Land and its People" by Zhou Daguan. Translated by Peter Harris.

Rare, readable, relevant…and entertaining!

If you’re heading to Cambodia as a tourist on your first visit…or if you’re a scholar immersed in Southeast Asian studies…this book is essential reading. It’s unusual to find a work of this depth that holds such broad appeal.

Zhou Daguan’s 700 year old report of his diplomatic journey to the fabulously wealthy ancient Khmer capital of Angkor is rare. In fact, it is one of the only written records about this mysterious kingdom that has survived to the present day.

Two things make this edition unique:

First, author Peter Harris provides the first direct Chinese to English translation of this historic record of Asian travel with many new insights and interpretations.

Second, Harris accomplishes this in a readable style, also including fascinating comparisons to Marco Polo’s China journey, which was contemporary with Zhou’s account.

The result is a book that enhances any recreational visit to Cambodia, but at the same time offers concrete facts and references for academic readers.

This edition includes 28 full color photos and two maps giving readers modern references to temples and concepts in Zhou’s original account. Academics will be pleased to find 44 pages of detailed endnotes, more than 100 bibliographic references, two appendices and a detailed index. All the reference tools include Chinese characters for Sino-linguists.

“A Record of Cambodia” delivers cultural relevance, readability and rigorous scholarship in a compact and inexpensive volume.

Kent Davis is a US-based publisher, author and independent researcher specializing in Khmer studies with DatAsia, Inc. and Devata.org.

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Posted in Book News & Reviews, Khmer History. Tagged with , .

By admin
February 13, 2009

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Continuing the Discussion

  1. Review: “The Armies of Angkor: Military Structure and Weaponry of the Khmers” by Michel Jacq-Hergoualc’h | Devata linked to this post on February 14, 2009

    [...] times are temple inscriptions and the account of the 13th century Chinese traveler, Zhou Daguan (brilliantly translated to English by Peter Harris in 2007). Michel Jacq-Hergoualc’h, however, has drawn upon an entirely visual medium to learn more about [...]

  2. Book Review: The Travels of Marco Polo - Edited by Peter Harris | Angkor Wat Aspara & Devata: Khmer Women in Divine Context linked to this post on October 19, 2009

    [...] 3. Editor Peter Harris makes this new edition of Polo’s  fantastic voyage especially accessible, substantiating his account with considerable new analysis. Harris is a Sino-linguist, whose unique ability to consult original Chinese texts brings a new level of understanding to this work. Equally important, Harris also recently completed a new translation of Zhou Daguan’s 13th century work, A Record of Cambodia: The Land and Its People. [...]

  3. ncient Khmer Families Discovered Living in Southern China | Angkor Wat Apsara & Devata: Khmer Women in Divine Context linked to this post on April 28, 2010

    [...] diplomat Zhou Daguan penned his Record of Cambodia in this era, which still remains the only eyewitness account of the Khmer capital at [...]

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