Download or read book A Westerner s Bicycle Tour in China with a Crash Course in Chinese Culture and Society written by Alexander Stanoyevitch and published by . This book was released on 2017-11-23 with total page 223 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: China is a beautiful country with a fascinating culture and wonderful people. The best way to experience it all is by bicycle. This book is based on a bicycle tour that the author completed in the late spring of 2014. Rather than separate the notes on Chinese culture and society from the perspectives and events of the actual bike tour, the cultural and societal notes are naturally interspersed within the story of the actual bike tour, as they arise. The bicycle tour followed an eastern route, avoiding the heavily polluted coal areas. The book includes over 250 photographs and a wealth of practical information that should be useful for any Westerner planning to visit China, as well as for anyone planning a bicycle tour in any foreign country. It is also intended for readers who are simply looking to learn more about Chinese culture and society, from a Westerner's perspective.
Download or read book It s All Chinese to Me written by Pierre Ostrowski and published by Tuttle Publishing. This book was released on 2011-09-13 with total page 194 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Picture yourself in China with this fun, graphic-novel inspired introduction to China, its culture and people! Ready to gain insight into Chinese culture in a fascinating way? This comprehensive introduction to Chinese culture lets you peer into what makes China unique—its people. Firsthand tips, background info, and illustrations give you graphic impressions of the real China, and allow you to get a feel for not only what it's like, but how to survive the cultural differences. You'll find out about: Major influences and historical events that guide Chinese behavior Key concepts crucial to interacting with Chinese people Social idiosyncrasies that surprise most Westerners Dealing with culture shock in China Peculiarities of Chinese business culture In It's All Chinese to Me, you'll find the core insights to help demystify Chinese culture for Westerners. "Offers a balanced view of China's cultural strengths and weaknesses and should be required reading for international travelers. Highly recommended."—Midwest Book Review "An excellent job of illustrating many of the common issues people may encounter while in China. Bravo!"—Mark Rowswell, AKA Dashan, performer and cultural ambassador
Download or read book A Woman In China written by Mary Gaunt and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2021-05-20 with total page 369 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work is a magnificent travel narrative by an Australian woman recalling her time in China. Mary Gaunt makes excellent use of imagery and takes the readers on a journey with her. She also writes about socialization, imperialism, feminism, and patriarchy in general terms. Her descriptions are rich in quality, and her writing style is sublime. The incredible narration keeps the readers engrossed during the whole book. Keeping it down without completing it becomes tough once a reader starts this beautiful trip through Gaunt's book. Mary Eliza Bakewell Gaunt (1861 – 1942) was an Australian novelist and writer born in Chiltern, Victoria. She wrote short stories, novellas, autobiographies, and non-fiction. In her life, Gaunt visited many countries like the West Indies, West Africa, China, and other parts of the East, and she wrote about her experiences in five travel books.
Download or read book The Sky Is My Ceiling written by and published by . This book was released on 2017-05-15 with total page 156 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Sky Is My Ceiling: Biking China's Border is Yu Juanjuan's personal account of her bike journey around China's border from 1987 to 1989 and in the process changed Chinese women's history. It took her two years to travel over 40,000 kilometers, (25,000 miles) to complete this trip, the distance being equivalent to the circumference of the earth. Starting from Beijing with four team members, three dropped out early, leaving her with only one-team member. For the majority of the 22 month trip she faced most of the diverse challenges ? the demanding terrain, the reaction from natives of cities and villages she visited, the wildly fluctuating weather, the need for funding, and those arising from the fact that she was a young woman ? alone. Since then, nobody has been able to duplicate her feat, man or woman. The strength of this remarkable woman's story? a product of the intersection of Communist and modern China ? result in a compelling richly illustrated book documenting the enormity of her success. Richly illustrated with over 150 images.
Download or read book Transformative Journeys written by Cong Ellen Zhang and published by University of Hawaii Press. This book was released on 2010-10-21 with total page 319 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Song (960-1279), all educated Chinese men traveled frequently, journeying long distances to attend school and take civil service examinations. They crisscrossed the country to assume government posts, report back to the capital, and return home between assignments and to attend to family matters. Based on a wide array of texts, Transformative Journeys analyzes the impact of travel on this group of elite men and the places they visited. In the first part of the book, Cong Ellen Zhang considers the practical aspects of travel during the Song in the context of state mobilization of and assistance to government travelers, including the infrastructure of waterways and highways, the bureaucratic procedures entailed in official travel, and the means of transport and types of lodging. The second part of the book focuses on elite activities on the road, especially the elaborate farewell banquets, welcoming ceremonies, and visits to famous places. Zhang argues convincingly that abundant travel experience became integral to Song elite identity and status, greatly strengthening the social and cultural coherence of the practitioners. In promoting their experience of traveling across a large empire, Song elite men firmly established their position as the country’s political, social, and cultural leaders. The literary compositions and physical traces they left behind also formed an overlapping web of collective memories, continually enhancing local pride and defining the place of various localities in the cultural geography of the country. Transformative Journeys sheds new light on the nature of Chinese literati, their dominance of culture and society, and China’s social and cultural integration. Those interested in premodern China and travel literature will find a wealth of material previously unavailable to Western readers.
Download or read book Westerners in China written by Foster Stockwell and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2015-10-03 with total page 233 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Today the doors of China are opening to foreign investment and trade as never before, but the history of contact between China and the West goes back many centuries. Goods from China were being traded in Rome long before the birth of Christ, transported over the famous silk road that crossed Mongolia and Russia. But not until the mid-fifteenth century, when Marco Polo published his account of his travels, did China really capture the European imagination. Subsequent centuries saw missionary trips to China by Franciscans and Jesuits, a European craze for Chinese silk and porcelain, European visits to Tibet, the infamous Opium War between Britain and China, and further instances of contact, commerce, and conflict. China has shown amazing economic growth since 1949, and today it has set ambitious goals for growth in trade and technology. This book traces the history of Western exploration in and trade with China. It follows the events outlined above and touches on many other highlights, including exploration by the Russian Nikolay Przhevalsky, who traveled deep into China and today is largely remembered for the horse he discovered and identified there; the travels of nineteenth-century women explorers in China; American Roy Chapman's discovery of the first fossilized dinosaur eggs in the Gobi Desert; and the competition between two American explorers to be the first to capture a live panda. Also included are a chronology of Chinese history and a pronunciation guide.
Download or read book China Underground written by Zachary Mexico and published by ReadHowYouWant.com. This book was released on 2010-08 with total page 350 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the beginning of the twenty-first century, it is hard to imagine a place more exciting than China. The country's economy is growing by more than ten percent per year. The lives of Chinese citizens in every stratum of society are changing--indeed, the very rules that define the parameters of their lives are changing. Over a billion people are simultaneously hustling, trying to decipher the rules, carving a place out for themselves in the new China. Predictably, the result is a glorious mess. Westerners are fascinated with news coming out of China, but in general, most such reporting focuses on the country's economy (growth rates, infrastructure, trade deficits, currency valuation, globalization, etc.), social issues (human rights, income inequality, diseases such as avian flu, SARS, and HIV/Aids, the traditional Chinese culture, mainstream social trends, etc.), and the current government (the workings of the CCP, its response to social unrest, etc.). Westerners hear much about China's booming economy and its role as the next global superpower from the mainstream media, but they know less about the young people who make up China's varied and fascinating subcultures. In China Underground, Mexico introduces young western readers to their Chinese counterparts, highlighting an unfamiliar side of China: today's varied youth cultures, which are both fascinating and under-exposed. Readers are introduced to a wannabe rock star from the desert of Xinjiang, trying to make it big in Shanghai; a disillusioned journalist; a budding screenwriter; a vagabond ladies' man; a straight-A student at China's best university; a Chinese mafia kingpin; a punk band trying their best to stay relevant; a prostitute; the world's most polluted city; Beijing's drug-fueled club scene, and many others.
Download or read book Across Asia on a Bicycle written by Thomas Gaskell Allen (jr.) and published by . This book was released on 1894 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Across Asia on a Bicycle written by Thomas Gaskell Allen and published by Good Press. This book was released on 2020-03-16 with total page 228 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Join Allen and Sachtleben on their incredible adventure as they cycle 15,044 miles across Asia, covering the longest continuous land journey ever made around the world. Beginning their journey in Liverpool and traveling through Europe, they encountered challenges in western China, the Desert of Gobi, and central China. This book is a collection of their sketches and experiences during the journey, where they learned about the language, cultures, and people of the countries they passed through. With over 2,500 photographs, this book showcases the tenacity of two young men determined to conquer the world on their bicycles.
Download or read book Through the Yang tse Gorges Or Trade and Travel in Western China written by Archibald John Little and published by Legare Street Press. This book was released on 2023-07-18 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is a fascinating account of the author's travels and experiences in western China, a region that was largely unknown to westerners at the time. It offers insights into the people, culture, and landscape of this remote area, and provides a firsthand account of the challenges and rewards of travel in a new and unfamiliar environment. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.
Download or read book Backpacker written by and published by . This book was released on 2007-09 with total page 140 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Backpacker brings the outdoors straight to the reader's doorstep, inspiring and enabling them to go more places and enjoy nature more often. The authority on active adventure, Backpacker is the world's first GPS-enabled magazine, and the only magazine whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish. Backpacker's Editors' Choice Awards, an industry honor recognizing design, feature and product innovation, has become the gold standard against which all other outdoor-industry awards are measured.
Download or read book Transformative Journeys written by Cong Zhang and published by . This book was released on 2010 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: During the Song (960-1279), all educated Chinese men travelled frequently, journeying long distances to attend school and take civil service examinations. This work analyzes the impact of travel on this group of elite men and the places they visited. In so doing it sheds new light on the nature of Chinese literati, their dominance of culture and society, and China's social and cultural integration.
Download or read book Lessons from China written by Beau Sides and published by . This book was released on 2014-04-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Jan Cross, a recent graduate from the University of Mississippi, is on a plane headed for Beijing, China to teach English at a Chinese university. Struggling to free herself of her ultra-independent behavior, she intentionally places herself in a situation that forces her to depend on others for help. Jan gets much more than she bargained for as she experiences a culture that is worlds apart from her beloved southern town of Jasper, Mississippi, USA. Jan quickly learns that as a visitor and an employee, you don t mess with the Chinese government or the University! The challenges of living and working abroad change her forever as she gives and receives lessons inside and outside of the classroom on life, social practices, politics, and the deep bond of friendship. Lessons from China is a heartwarming exploration of China that innocently, and often humorously, takes into account the many differences and similarities to US culture through the eyes of a young American and first-time traveler. Providing an inside view of Chinese culture, economic development, and bits of historical background, this story delivers the hope and beauty of diversity and cultural acceptance between East and West."
Download or read book Lands of Lost Borders written by Kate Harris and published by Knopf Canada. This book was released on 2018-01-30 with total page 320 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NATIONAL BESTSELLER WINNER OF THE RBC TAYLOR PRIZE WINNER OF THE EDNA STAEBLER AWARD FOR CREATIVE NON-FICTION "Every day on a bike trip is like the one before--but it is also completely different, or perhaps you are different, woken up in new ways by the mile." As a teenager, Kate Harris realized that the career she most craved--that of a generalist explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and philosopher--had gone extinct. From her small-town home in Ontario, it seemed as if Marco Polo, Magellan and their like had long ago mapped the whole earth. So she vowed to become a scientist and go to Mars. To pass the time before she could launch into outer space, Kate set off by bicycle down a short section of the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule, then settled down to study at Oxford and MIT. Eventually the truth dawned on her: an explorer, in any day and age, is by definition the kind of person who refuses to live between the lines. And Harris had soared most fully out of bounds right here on Earth, travelling a bygone trading route on her bicycle. So she quit the laboratory and hit the Silk Road again with Mel, this time determined to bike it from the beginning to end. Like Rebecca Solnit and Pico Iyer before her, Kate Harris offers a travel narrative at once exuberant and meditative, wry and rapturous. Weaving adventure and deep reflection with the history of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders explores the nature of limits and the wildness of a world that, like the self and like the stars, can never be fully mapped.
Download or read book Zen and the Art of Bicycle Touring written by Alexander Stanoyevitch and published by . This book was released on 2019-04-29 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Bicycle touring is the best way to explore and enjoy the sights, culture, and people in any region. The author shares his insights, advice, and experience after many years of cycling in this practical and witty guide to long-distance bicycle touring. You will find much useful advice on how to transition from a leisure cyclist into one who is capable of planning and completing multi-day tours. The book is made up of the following sections:1. Author's Background vis-à-vis Bicycling 2. Safety First 3. Increasing Your Distances 4. Dealing with Aches and Pains 5. Two Non-Consecutive Big Day Tours 6. Planning a Longer Tour 7. What to Take With You? 8. Domestic versus International Touring 9. Transporting Your Bike or Renting One 10. Sample Domestic Tour: Seattle, WA to Crescent City CA featuring the Oregon Coast 11. Sample International Tour: Winter in Yunnan Province, China
Download or read book Sophie s World written by Jostein Gaarder and published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux. This book was released on 2007-03-20 with total page 735 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A page-turning novel that is also an exploration of the great philosophical concepts of Western thought, Jostein Gaarder's Sophie's World has fired the imagination of readers all over the world, with more than twenty million copies in print. One day fourteen-year-old Sophie Amundsen comes home from school to find in her mailbox two notes, with one question on each: "Who are you?" and "Where does the world come from?" From that irresistible beginning, Sophie becomes obsessed with questions that take her far beyond what she knows of her Norwegian village. Through those letters, she enrolls in a kind of correspondence course, covering Socrates to Sartre, with a mysterious philosopher, while receiving letters addressed to another girl. Who is Hilde? And why does her mail keep turning up? To unravel this riddle, Sophie must use the philosophy she is learning—but the truth turns out to be far more complicated than she could have imagined.
Download or read book The Grace of Kings written by Ken Liu and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2015-04-07 with total page 656 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: One of the Time 100 Best Fantasy Books Of All Time Two men rebel together against tyranny—and then become rivals—in this first sweeping book of an epic fantasy series from Ken Liu, recipient of Hugo, Nebula, and World Fantasy awards. Hailed as one of the best books of 2015 by NPR. Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice. Fans of intrigue, intimate plots, and action will find a new series to embrace in the Dandelion Dynasty.
