author

Sir Alexander Hosie

1853–1925

A British diplomat, explorer, and writer, he spent decades in China and turned first-hand experience into vivid books about trade routes, frontier travel, and the opium economy. His work helped introduce Western readers to parts of western China and Manchuria that were little known at the time.

1 Audiobook

Three Years in Western China A Narrative of Three Journeys in Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Yün-nan

Three Years in Western China A Narrative of Three Journeys in Ssu-ch'uan, Kuei-chow, and Yün-nan

by Sir Alexander Hosie

About the author

Born in 1853, Alexander Hosie built his career in the British consular service in China. He served in several posts and became known not only as a diplomat but also as a careful observer of Chinese trade, geography, and everyday life.

He is best remembered for books drawn from his travels and official work, including Three Years in Western China and On the Trail of the Opium Poppy. Contemporary records and later references describe him as a Chinese explorer as well as a diplomat, and his journeys in western China, Tibet, Taiwan, and Manchuria gave him material that combined travel writing with close economic and political observation.

Hosie was knighted and remained closely associated with China throughout his life. He died on March 10, 1925, and was later remembered by archives and biographical sources as an important British consular figure and explorer of the region.