Zhu Fan Zhi

He also took note of the various products traded, studied the maps of the period, and together with the information he had learnt he wrote the book which was finished around 1225 CE.

[9] In particular it borrowed heavily from the 1178 work Lingwai Daida by another geographer, Zhou Qufei (Chinese: 周去非; pinyin: Zhōu Qùfēi; Wade–Giles: Chou Ch'ü-fei).

[10] Though the original book was lost, extracts were found in other compilations and annals, and its content was also incorporated into the 15th century Yongle Encyclopedia.

[11] Extracts from the Yongle Encyclopedia were then recompiled by Li Diaoyuan (李調元) for inclusion in his collection known as Han Hai (函海) in 1781.

[7] The countries recorded include places and kingdoms in South East Asia, such as Jiaozhi (交趾, northern Vietnam), Champa (占城), Chenla (眞臘, here referring to the Khmer Empire),[15] Langkasuka (凌牙斯加), Sanfoqi (三佛齊, Palembang), Java (闍婆), Bagan (蒲甘, Burma), and Mayi (麻逸, the Philippines).

[16] Japan, Korea and Taiwan in East Asia, and countries in the Indian subcontinent such as Huchala (胡茶辣, Gujarat), Nanpi (南毗, Malabar) and Zhunian (注輦, Chola) are also mentioned.

The country of Dashi (大食, the Arabs) is described as an extensive realm covering many territories (24 given in the book) with its capital in Egypt, and included Baida (白達, Baghdad); Wengman (甕蠻 Oman); Majia (麻嘉, Mecca); Jicini (吉慈尼, Ghazni) and others.

[18] The book further listed countries and places in Africa, these include Wusili (勿廝離, Egypt) and its city of Egentuo (遏根陀, Alexandria), Bipaluo (弼琶囉, Berbera), Zhongli (中理, Somalia),[19] Cengba (層拔, Zanzibar), Binouye (Tunisia and the Tripoli region in Libya), and Tuopandi (駞盤地, Damietta in Egypt).