Richthofen (1833-1905) was born on May 5,1833, in Karsruhe, Upper Silesia (now Poland). He once studied at the University of Breslau and Humboldt University of Berlin, and graduated in 1856 with a doctorate. Then geological studies were carried out in Tyrol, Austria, and Transylvania, western Romania. Between 1860 and 1862, Richthofen participated in the Preussische Expedition organized by the Prussian government to many places in Asia, such as Ceylon,Japan, China, Taiwan, Indonesia, the Philippines, Siamese And Burma. Between1863 and 1868, he did a lot of geological prospecting and discovered gold mine in California, USA. His work led indirectly to the California gold rush. Between 1868 and 1872, he moved to China on seventh expeditions, during which time he officially pointed out the location of Lop Nur (xinjiang's dried saltwater lake, with the ruins of Ancient Lulan )

He used to be President of the International Geographical Society in Berlin, Rector of the University of Berlin, Professor of geology at the University of Bonn, professor of Geography at the University of Leipzig.  He died in Berlin on October 6th of 1905.

Richthofen went to China in September 1868 for geological and geographical investigation, and visited more than half of China (14 provinces and regions) in nearly 4 years until May of 1872. He made in-depth exploration of China's mountains, climate, population,economy, transportation, minerals and so on. After returning to China,starting in 1877, he wrote and published five volumes of China with illustrations -- the results of his own travels and the studies based on them-- which were the crystallization of his four years of rich field research and had an important influence on the geological field at that time and thereafter.

In 1870, Richthofen went to Luoyang and investigated the silk cotton market in Nanguan, visited shanshan Guild Hall and Guandi Temple. In his reports on Henan and Shaanxi, he proposed in 1877 for the first time that there was an ancient trade road from Luoyang to Samarkand (now part of Uzbekistan), and named it "The Silk Road" .

Richthofen recorded a large number of field geological data and collected a large number of fossil rock and mineral specimens during his seven expeditions to China. The geological map and stratigraphic section of the investigation area were drawn as well. When he was available he made up a report in time and reported what he had observed to the foreign Chamber of Commerce as promised . In 1903, the Foreign Chamber of Commerce compiled Richthofen's "report" into two large volumes, which were named Richthofen's Report on China Travel.

In 1872, Richthofen returned to Germany and was praised and appreciated by Kaiser Wilhelm I. His academic and social status rose to the prominence and he became a global sensation.