Western Travel Accounts of China and the Burden of Postcolonial Theory
Western Travel Accounts of China and the Burden of Postcolonial Theory

Summary/Abstract: The article challenges the dominance of postcolonial theory in interpreting Western travel accounts of China. It acknowledges the insights of scholars like Said, Spivak and Foucault, but argues that their frameworks frequently obscure the sincerity, complexity and historical context of the travelogues. By treating all Western narratives as instruments of imperialism, postcolonial readings discourage genuine understanding. The author advocates for a more generous approach that recognizes authorial intention, respects genre conventions and restores curiosity and empathy as tools for reading. He calls for a critique that begins with the text, rather than with theory.

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