"A vibrant, colorful, and revelatory inner history of China during a moment of profound transformation. From abroad, we often see China as a caricature: a nation of pragmatic plutocrats and ruthlessly dedicated students destined to rule the global economy--or an addled Goliath, …
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"The Forbidden City (Zijin Cheng) lying at the heart of Beijing formed the hub of the Celestial Empire for five centuries. Over the past century it has led a reduced life as the refuge for a deposed emperor, as well as a heritage museum for monarchist, republican, and socialist …
"China's One Child Policy and its rigorous national focus on educational testing are well known. But what happens to those "lucky" few at the very top of the pyramid: elite university students in China who grew up under the One Child Policy and now attend the nation's most prest…
With rapid commercialization, a booming urban economy, and the relaxation of state migration policies, over 100 million peasants, known as China's 'floating population, ' have streamed into large cities seeking employment and a better life. This massive flow of rural migrants di…
"Despite its emergence from backward isolation into a dynamic world economic power, a quarter-century after the People's Army crushed unarmed protestors ... labeled anti-revolutionaries ... in Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989, the defining event of China's modern history remains…
The Search for a Vanishing Beijing weaves the genres of travel essays and travel guides into a comprehensive narrative about the cultural mosaic of the capital of China. The author leads the reader through palaces, temples, back streets and markets while bringing back to living …
Decades of revolution and turmoil in China, along with unprecedented economic growth since the early 1990s have had disastrous consequences for Beijing. Chronic overcrowding, inadequate sewage and garbage disposal, insufficient water supply, traffic congestion, and pollution are…