This book explores how Emerson's and Zhuang Zi’s exploration of spirituality in nature shapes different senses of place. It explores spirituality as a pursuit of life's meaning and self-transcendence, particularly relevant amidst rapid urbanization, which separates more people from their land and relocates them into cities. This concept has garnered attention in fields such as religion, philosophy, geography, and psychology.

Shan Gao has published many articles on "Nature, Spirituality, and Place: Comparative Studies between Emerson and Chinese Philosophy" in leading journals both in Chinese and in English, including the Journal of Religions, Environmental Ethics, and Morality and Civilization （《道德与文明》）. All the courses she teaches in the Department of Philosophy at Soochow University are closely related to this topic. In addition to her research and teaching experience, she has organized numerous workshops devoted to this area. She also teaches a course titled "Philosophy and the Meaning in Life" at Soochow University, which she has taught for three years. The core philosophical concept she investigates in this course is spirituality