active 1691-1697 Yonghe Yu

Very little is known about this author beyond the years in which he was active, but he is remembered for Small Sea Travel Diaries (裨海紀遊), a travel narrative based on a journey to Taiwan in 1697. Modern reference sources describe him as a traveler from China whose writing has become important for the study of Taiwan's history.

The book stands out because it records places, people, customs, and conditions in Taiwan at a time when written firsthand accounts were still relatively rare. That has made it useful not only as travel writing, but also as a historical source for readers interested in the island's early Qing-era world.

Because confirmed biographical details are scarce, the work itself remains the clearest introduction to its author: observant, practical, and closely engaged with the unfamiliar landscapes and communities he encountered.