"In heaven there is paradise, on Earth, Suzhou and Hangzhou." Marco
Polo
Hangzhou has long been famed for its beautiful West Lake,
verdant hills, fragrant fields of tea, and the city's spectacular
array of pagodas, temples, and pavilions. Hangzhou's rich cultural
legacy and serene fusion of ancient and modern China make it the
perfect destination for travellers looking to experience the best
of China in one city.
China through the Looking Glass: Hangzhou is an
engaging, personable, and vibrant depiction of Hangzhou city as
seen through the eyes of foreigners. As well as offering a
traveller-friendly introduction to the sights of Hangzhou, the book
also paints a vivid portrait of the city's culture, customs, and
people.
Written by foreigners for foreigners, China through the
Looking Glass: Hangzhou offers a unique portrayal of China's
cities and scenic attractions with an exciting mix of commentaries
on related history and culture, interviews, personal anecdotes, and
exposés on travelling in China.
Reviews
"To those who have never visited Hangzhou, the writers are able
to bring the unfamiliar landscape of this splendid city alive. They
offer a window into the history and actuality of its amazing
culture and modern development that exist side by side. The
writers, whose talents as novelists, diarists, and entertainers,
beguile the reader. They carry the traveller through the city and
environs with a first-hand account of wonderland seen through the
eyes of these two adventurous young women who have experienced what
they have described so intimately, and who are in a position to
express so beautifully and poetically what they have
witnessed."
?-- Nowl Moore, Book Reviewer (Ireland)
"This book results in being so much more than just a travel book
or a novel. It provides not only a combination of a portrait of an
amazing culture and an excellent read; it draws the reader into
this beautiful and ancient city, one of the seven ancient capitals
of China. Van Dijk and Moss' writing is both thrilling and
absorbing, capable of carrying the reader to untravelled lands,
with the writers as the best of companions."
?-- Jeremy Leveson, Book Reviewer
Product Details
Paperback: 384 pages
Publish Date: May 1, 2006
Language: English
ISBN-10: 7502236481
ISBN-13: 978-7502236489
Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 5 x 1.2 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
Authors, Monique Van Dijk and Alexandra
Moss
Monique Van Dijk
Monique Van Dijk first travelled around China at the age of 16,
and her life has been irrevocably entwined with this fascinating
country ever since. In 2002, she received a post-graduate
scholarship from the Chinese government to pursue advanced studies
at Beijing's top Language and Culture University. After completing
her Masters degree in Creative Arts back in her native New Zealand,
Monique decided to permanently relocate to China and forge a career
from her passion for writing, travelling, filmmaking, and all
things Chinese in between her travels around China. Her articles
have been published both in China and abroad.
Alexandra Moss
Alexandra Moss is a writer, editor, and photographer who would
like to be a filmmaker. She graduated from Harvard University with
a degree in Literature, having also studied comparative mythology,
film, history, Chinese, and Spanish. A native New Yorker, she
imagines she'll end up living there eventually, but for now she
makes her home in the dynamic city of Beijing. In the past, she has
written and edited for Let's Go, The Boston Phoenix, Book Magazine,
Young Money, City Weekend, and The Harvard Crimson. She has
travelled to more than 20 countries on five continents and has made
her way to 11 of China's 31 provinces.
(China.org.cn December 27, 2007)
