Peter Goullart
Encyclopedia
Peter Goullart was a Russian-born traveler, explorer and author, who is best known for a number of books describing the life and customs of various peoples living in remote parts of East
and Southeast Asia
.
in the beginning of the 20th Century into a well-educated family, and spent his youth in Moscow
and Paris
. He was interested in the Orient from an early age. After Bolshevik Revolution he fled to China
and eventually settled in Shanghai
in 1924. He perfected his Chinese and worked as a tour guide for Western tourists and businesspeople, accompanying them on their trips throughout East and South-East Asia. During this time he developed an interest in Daoism and in exploring the remote mountaineous areas of Western China. In 1939 following the Japanese invasion of China, Goullart secured an appointment as a respresentative of the Chinese Industrial Coooperatives (an agency of the Kuomintang
Government), first in what is now western Sichuan, then in 1942 in the ancient city of Lijiang
, in the North-Western corner of the Yunnan Province. He lived in Lijiang for over eight years at the time when it was an important transit stop on the vital trading and supply route from India
to China during World War II
. Goullart documented life and customs of inhabitants of this remote region, in particular, Nakhi People
, in his first book, The Forgotten Kingdom . In 1949 shortly after the communist takeover
, Goullart left Lijiang on a chartered plane together with the botanist and explorer Joseph Rock
. He then lived and worked in Singapore
, and continued to write about his travels throughout Southeast Asia. All his books were written and published in English. He died in Singapore in 1978..
East Asia
East Asia or Eastern Asia is a subregion of Asia that can be defined in either geographical or cultural terms...
and Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...
.
Life
Goullart was born in RussiaRussia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in the beginning of the 20th Century into a well-educated family, and spent his youth in Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. He was interested in the Orient from an early age. After Bolshevik Revolution he fled to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
and eventually settled in Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 1924. He perfected his Chinese and worked as a tour guide for Western tourists and businesspeople, accompanying them on their trips throughout East and South-East Asia. During this time he developed an interest in Daoism and in exploring the remote mountaineous areas of Western China. In 1939 following the Japanese invasion of China, Goullart secured an appointment as a respresentative of the Chinese Industrial Coooperatives (an agency of the Kuomintang
Kuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
Government), first in what is now western Sichuan, then in 1942 in the ancient city of Lijiang
Lijiang
Lijiang may refer to:*Lijiang, Yunnan , prefecture-level city in Yunnan Province, China*Old Town of Lijiang, World Heritage Site, in Lijiang City*Lijiang Naxi Autonomous County, formerly a county in Lijiang, Yunnan, China before 2002...
, in the North-Western corner of the Yunnan Province. He lived in Lijiang for over eight years at the time when it was an important transit stop on the vital trading and supply route from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to China during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Goullart documented life and customs of inhabitants of this remote region, in particular, Nakhi People
Nakhi
The Nakhi are an ethnic group inhabiting the foothills of the Himalayas in the northwestern part of Yunnan Province, as well as the southwestern part of Sichuan Province in China....
, in his first book, The Forgotten Kingdom . In 1949 shortly after the communist takeover
Chinese Civil War
The Chinese Civil War was a civil war fought between the Kuomintang , the governing party of the Republic of China, and the Communist Party of China , for the control of China which eventually led to China's division into two Chinas, Republic of China and People's Republic of...
, Goullart left Lijiang on a chartered plane together with the botanist and explorer Joseph Rock
Joseph Rock
Joseph Francis Charles Rock was an Austrian-American explorer, geographer, linguist and botanist.-Life:He was born in Vienna, Austria, but emigrated to the United States in 1905 and moved to Honolulu, Hawaii in 1907, where he eventually became an authority on the flora there...
. He then lived and worked in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, and continued to write about his travels throughout Southeast Asia. All his books were written and published in English. He died in Singapore in 1978..
Works
- Goullart, P., Report on the industrial cooperatives of Likiang, Yunnan, 1945.
- Goullart, P., The Forgotten Kingdom, J. Murray, 1957.
- Goullart, P., Princes of the Black Bone. Life on the Tibetan Borderlands, J. Murray, 1959.
- Goullart, P., Land of the lamas: Adventures in secret Tibet, Dutton, 1959.
- Goullart, P., The Monastery of Jade Mountain, J. Murray, 1961.
- Goullart, P., River of the White Lily: Life in Sarawak (Malaysian heritage series) , J. Murray, 1965.