As he traveled through China and eastern Tibet, Loftis recorded his observations of the cultural landscape, providing context to many of the customs and historical landmarks that he encountered. On the way to Nanjing, he described the thousands of graves that covered the fields and detailed the cultural and historical context behind the great stone statues that lay along the road that he traveled. Along the Yangtze River, Loftis observed an artificial cave home to an ancient aboriginal race and entered one of them, concluding that they were the first dwellings of Tibetan ancestors. He also recorded histories of the Purple Mountain, Omei Shan, and a bridge that hovered over the Tong River.