One of the best-known Chinese poets of the Song Dynasty, he served as a government official, and was an academic authority in geography, especially the southern provinces of China.
His written work also falls under the literary category of 'travel record literature' (yóujì wénxué), a narrative and prose style approach to writing about one's travel experiences, which was popular in China during the Song Dynasty.
[2] He, along with Yang Wanli, Lu You, and You Mao, are considered to be the "four masters" of Southern Song dynasty poetry.
Fàn's work deals with the traditional themes of the period, including peasant life, Prunus mume, the seasons, Buddhism, and growing old.
Fàn was born in Suzhou into a middle-ranking family at a time of conflict between the Southern Song and Jin dynasties.
After a youth of austere poverty, Fàn Chéngdà was able to pass the Imperial Examination and secure the jinshi degree in 1154 AD.
During his career he wrote an important geographical treatise known as the Guì Hǎi Yú Héng Zhì.
The book focused primarily on the topography of the land and commercial products of China's southern provinces.
[3] In this Fàn followed a long geographical literary tradition, continuing from the Shu Jing (Historical Classic) of the 5th century BC, the Huainan Zi of the 2nd century BC, and predating the famous written works by the Ming Dynasty geographer Xu Xiake.
However, his best-known work is a series of sixty poems which he wrote in 1186, following his retirement from his position as a high official at the Southern Song Court.
On June 27, 1177, Fàn departed from the city of Chengdu, Sichuan and traveled 100 miles south to Jia county (modern-day Leshan).
[5] He followed the Min River to Jia county and spent ten days there touring scenic Buddhist sites, first the Colossal Buddha and then Mount Emei.
Leaving by the West Gate, we began climbing the mountain and passed the Benevolent Fortune and Universal Security Cloisters, White Stream Manor, and Shu Village Way-Stop.
With dark waters of deep green hue, the soaring torrents spurt foamy snowcaps as they race beyond the bridges and then pass into a high thicket.
"After reaching the White Stream Monastery, he wrote:"On the road there was a sign that read: 'The World's Great Mount Emei.'
As strong yeomen supported my sedan-chair in its forced ascent, thirty mountain lads drew it upward while they advanced pulling on a huge rope.
Tula clouds again spread out below the cliff, gathered thickly, and mounted upward to within a few yards of the edge, where they abruptly halted.