晚明旅遊風氣盛行，文人多有記遊之作，因此，遊記在小品文中備受後世學者矚目，袁宏道之遊記尤為個中翹楚。作家因為人生際遇之轉變、生命體悟的轉折，從而在文學創作與思想方面皆不免有所變化，袁中道曾就袁氏前後期學思之轉變，而指出其遊記先後之不同風貌。本文參考袁中道之說，以袁氏作於萬曆二十四、五年的《錦帆集》、《解脫集》之遊記為主，另外參酌其《瓶花齋集》與《瀟碧堂集》中作於萬曆二十八年前後的記遊之作，以之比觀寫於萬曆三十七年的《華嵩遊草》，據以探討袁宏道遊記的先後不同風貌，與貫穿在前後期遊記之中的共同元素。
There was a prevailing climate of traveling in Late Ming Dynasty, and most of the literati had the works recording their trips; hence among essays, travel notes have attracted much attention from the scholars of later generations, and Yuan Hongdao's travel notes are especially outstanding. Because of the change of favorable or unfavorable turns in life, and the transition from realization of life, a writer would inevitably have transformation in literary creations and thought. Yuan Zhongdao had aimed at Yuan Hongdao's transformation in academic thought in earlier stage and later stage to indicate the different styles and features of his travel notes before and after. The dissertation referred to Yuan Zhongdao's theory, gave priority to Yuan Hongdao's travel notes of ”Jin Fan Ji” and ”Jie Tuo Ji” made in the 24th and 25th year under the reign of Emperor Wanli, deliberated his ”Ping Hua Zhai Ji” and ”Sa Bi Tang Ji” made around the 28th year under the reign of Emperor Wanli, and used them to compare with his ”Hua Song You Cao” written in the 37th year under the reign of same emperor to explore the varied styles and features of Yuan Hongdao's travel notes before and after, and the common elements that run through his travel notes in earlier stage and later stage.
