Tree Years in Western China: A Narrative of Three Journeys in Szechwan, Kweichow, and Yunnan, is a classic account of travel and exploration in southwestern China during the late Qing dynasty.The book chronicles Hosie's journeys through the provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, and Yunnan, offering firsthand observations of the region's geography, peoples, customs, and economy.

Combining travel narrative with geographical, ethnographic, and commercial research, Hosie describes mountainous landscapes, remote settlements, local industries, agricultural practices, and traditional trade routes. He records observations of ethnic communities, regional languages, and distinctive cultural traditions, while devoting particular attention to products such as tea, salt, opium, and Chinese insect white wax. His account also explores the commercial potential of southwestern China and the transportation networks connecting its inland regions with the wider world.

As both a travelogue and a historical document, this work provides a valuable glimpse into southwestern China before the profound transformations of the twentieth century. It remains a useful reference for researchers and readers interested in Chinese history, historical geography.

Alexander Hosie undertook the journey during his tenure as a British consular agent in Chungkiung, from 1882-1884. At the time this was the most important city in Szechuan Province, Western China. Situated on the Yangtze River, 1,500 miles inland from its mouth, it was seen as the potential nexus for trade, giving access inland to the majority of the Chinese. Hosie served in Chinese cities until retiring in 1912. In honor of his contribution to botanical studies, a plant species was named after him, Osmosia hosiei.

2001, Bangkok, White Lotus, paperback, 362 pp., as new.