조선 후기의 문신 박제가가 1778년(정조 2) 처음으로 청나라 연행에 다녀온 후 쓴 견문록이다. 홍대용, 박지원과 마찬가지로 당대 집권 세력인 노론 집안 출신이었지만, 대의명분을 고수하며 외쳤던 ‘북벌北伐’에서 벗어나 청나라의 발전된 모습을 배워야 한다는 ‘북학北學’을 주장했다. 『북학의』는 신분제 반대, 수레‧벽돌‧농기구 개량 및 도입, 선박을 이용한 대외 교역 등 이용후생利用厚生을 위해 제시되었던 진보적 주장을 망라하고 있다.

This is a travelogue penned by a late Joseon literary official following his first journey to Beijing in Qing China in 1778 (the second year of King Jeongjo’s reign). Like Hong Dae-yong and Bak Ji-won, Bak Je-ga belonged to the family of the Old Doctrine faction, the ruling power of the time. Yet he advocated for Northern Learning which supported drawing lessons from the advancements of the Qing Dynasty, as opposed to the Northern Expedition advocated by neo-Confucian scholars in Joseon, who remained loyal to the Ming Dynasty. Bukhagui encompasses progressive arguments put forward to promote public welfare. These include opposition to the class system, initiatives to improve and introduce carts, bricks, and agricultural tools, and the use of ships for foreign trade.