As a renowned geographer and educator in modern China, Zhang Xiangwen has made tremendous contributions to the development of geography in China. In particular, the series of geography textbooks he compiled hold a pioneering and foundational position in the history of textbook development in China. His geography textbooks integrate the sense of home and country with the scientifi c spirit, uphold the pragmatism orientation of“taking the understanding of the present as the foundation and applying learning to practical use”. Specifi cally, his Elementary Geography Textbook adopts a unique travelogue-style narrative design to highlight the readability and interest of the content. At present, geography education in the digital-intelligent era is facing the new context of cultivating students’key competencies and deepening curriculum reform. Against this backdrop, Zhang Xiangwen's editorial experience in geography textbook compilation still has signifi cant enlightening value. For the compilation of contemporary geography textbooks, we should adhere to the people-oriented education philosophy and integrate ideological and political elements in terms of conception; respond to real-world social concerns and highlight practicality and contemporaneity in terms of content; innovate the compilation and presentation forms of textbooks, implement the student-centered education philosophy, and meet the needs of cultivating students' key competencies in terms of form.