Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Morris Rossabi
(ed.)
The Travels of Marco Polo
. Said to have inspired Columbus,
The
Travels
is a fantastic read, full of amazing insights picked up during Marco Polo's 26 years of
wandering in Asia between Venice and the Peking court of Kublai Khan. It's not, however, a
coherent history, having been ghost-written by a romantic novelist from Marco Polo's notes.
GUIDES AND REFERENCE BOOKS
GilesBeguinandDominiqueMorel
The Forbidden City: Heart of Imperial China
. A good
introduction to the complex, and to the history of the emperors who lived there, though the
best thing about this pocket book (as with most books about the Forbidden City) is the illus-
trations.
LinXiangZhuandLinCuifeng
Chinese Gastronomy
(o/p). A classic work, relatively short
on recipes but strong on cooking methods and the underlying philosophy. It wavers in and
out of print, sometimes under different titles - look for “Lin” as the author name. Essential
reading for anyone serious about learning the finer details of Chinese cooking.
Mary Tregear
Chinese Art
. Authoritative summary of the main strands in Chinese art from
Neolithic times, through the Bronze Age and up to the twentieth century. Clearly written and
well illustrated.
RELIGION AND PHILOSOPHY
Asiapac Comics Series.
Available at Beijing's Foreign Language Bookstore, this entertain-
ing series of books presents ancient Chinese philosophy in cartoon format, making the sub-
ject accessible without losing too much complexity. They're all well written and well drawn;
particularly good is the
Sayings of Confucius
.
Confucius
The Analects
. There are various good translations of this classic text, a collection
of Confucius's teachings focusing on morality and the state.
I Ching
, also known as
The Topic
of Changes
, is another classic volume from Confucius that teaches a form of divination. It in-
cludes coverage of some of the fundamental concepts of Chinese thought, such as the duality
of
yin
and
yang
.
Lao Zi
Tao Te Ching
. The
Daodejing
in pinyin, this is a collection of mystical thoughts and
philosophical speculation that form the basis of Taoist philosophy.
Arthur Waley
(trans.)
Three Ways of Thought in Ancient China
. Translated extracts from
the writings of three of the early philosophers - Zhuang Zi, Mencius and Han Feizi. A useful
introduction.
BIOGRAPHY AND AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Pallavi Aiyar
Smoke and Mirrors: An Experience of China
. There are plenty of memoirs
about the expat experience in Beijing; this one stands out as it was written from an Indian
perspective. Amusing, anecdotal and full of acute observations.
