CHINA TOUR
Daughter of China: A True Story of Love and Betrayal by
Meihong Xu and Larry Engelmann. The true account of a Chinese
woman trained as an elite member of the PLA, who was denounced
as a spy by the Communist government for her love affair with a
visiting American professor. The story of her seemingly impossible
escape from China and the pair's eventual marriage makes for
"one of the most absorbing books of the year." - The Journal
Iron and Silk by Mark Salzman. Salzman captures post-
cultural revolution China through his adventures as a young
American English teacher in China and his shifu-tudi (master-
student) relationship with China's foremost martial arts teacher.
"Charmingly unpretentious -penetrates a China inaccessible to
other foreigners." - Los Angeles Times
Dragon Lady: The Life and Legend of the Last Empress of
China by Sterling Seagrave. "A complete reappraisal of
the Dowager Empress Tzu His (1835-1908) "showing that far
from being all-powerful, Tzu His was actually a hostage of
vengeful Manchu princes who were using her in a power struggle
against both Chinese reformers and foreign interference." Book
News
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From Emperor To Citizen by Pu Yi. The autobiography
of China's last emperor, Pu Yi, whose fortunes paralleled the
tumultuous history of 20th-century China. Pu Yi's account of his
troubled life was made into a stunning Bernardo Bertolucci film
that won the 1987 Academy Award.
Culture/Social Customs
China Pop: How Soap Operas, Tabloids, and Bestsellers are
Transforming a Culture by Jianying Zah. "This eye-opening
book is a breezy and stimulating look at the explosive cultural
changes that have followed recent economic reforms in China." -
The New Yorker
Dos and Don'ts in China: The Traveler's Guide to Culture
by Wilson Learning Corporation. Chinese social protocol varies
greatly from that of the Western world. Written for tourists and
foreigners on business in China, this handy booklet on Chinese
etiquette covers greetings, eating, drinking, tipping, gift giving,
dress, and conversation topics. A brief list of useful phrases is
included.
Culture Shock China!: A Guide to Customs and Etiquette.
This guide to Chinese social decorum goes one step further by
explaining the rationale behind the social traditions and formalities.
Fiction
Waiting by Ha Jin. Winner of the 1999 National Book Award,
Ha Jin's novel is the sorrowful story of Lin Kong, a man trapped
in a traditional marriage who longs to break free and consummate
his love for another woman. On another level, the tale is a
political allegory for Communism's crushing effect on the human
spirit.
The Death of the Woman Wang by Jonathan Spence.
A historical novel about the ordinary life of a 17th-century
woman who is torn between ideal Confucian behavior and the
harsh demands of her rural life.
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The White Tiger by Robert S. Nathan. Set in Beijing during
the 1980s, this highly intelligent political mystery involves a
Chinese policeman who comes up against the Communist Party
while investigating the death of friend.
Judge Dee Mysteries by Robert van Gulik. A unique
series of detective stories, each set in China and written by a
Dutch diplomat. Judge Dee, the master detective, is based on
an actual 7th-century Chinese magistrate, who became a legend
for his extraordinary skills of detection. Titles in the series include
The Lacquer Screen, The Red Pavilion, and The Phantom of
the Temple.
Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard. An autobiographical
novel of an English boy's separation from his parents during
Japan's WWII invasion of Shanghai; also a sumptuous Steven
Spielberg film (1987).
The Good Earth by Pearl Buck. This compelling story
of survival is part of a trilogy that was awarded the Pulitzer Prize.
The plot follows a Chinese peasant family's rise to wealth and
power, and ends with China in revolution. Also an acclaimed
movie for which Luise Rainer won the Academy Award for Best
Actress in 1937.
Spring Moon by Bette Bao Lord. Lord's acclaimed saga of
the lives and loves of a proud Chinese clan spans the years from
1892 to 1972, and recreates the cloistered lifestyle of this era's
upper class.
The Kitchen God's Wife by Amy Tan. When a dying Chinese
immigrant woman recounts the events of her violent, war-
wrenched youth to her American-born daughter, troublesome
family secrets are revealed. The Joy Luck Club and The
Hundred Secret Senses are other novels by Amy Tan that
explore the conflicts and resolutions between Chinese families
and their Chinese-American offspring.
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OPTIONAL EXTENSION: THAILAND
Guidebooks
Berlitz Pocket Guide: Bangkok. Concise and easy to
carry travel guidebook providing the basics of travel to
Thailand and descriptions of the major attractions in Bangkok.
Insight Guide Bangkok. Worth browsing before your
trip for the splendid photographs, though it's a bit heavy to
carry around once you're on foot exploring Bangkok.
Language Phrasebook
Lonely Planet Thai Phrasebook by Joe Cummings.
If you really want to win over the locals, purchase this book.
Otherwise, rest assured that most people who deal regularly
with foreign visitors speak some English.
Background Reading
Political Conflict in Thailand: Reform, Reaction, Revolution by
David Morrell and Chai-anan Samudavanija, probably the
single best book available on modern Thai politics.
Thailand: A Short History by David Wyatt. Cornell
professor David Wyatt manages to fit Thailand's history into
one 300-page volume. The second half of the book focuses
on the period from the late 18th century, when Bangkok
replaced Ayuthaya as the capital, up to the mid 20th century,
when the book was published.
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Culture Shock: Thailand by Robert Cooper and
Nanthapa Cooper. A humorous paperback that concisely
explains the Thai people, their customs, and hidden rules
for correct social etiquette. A delightful book filled with great
insight and charm, especially the discussion on Thai smiles.
Descriptions of Old Siam by Michael Smithies.
Excerpts from the early diplomats, merchants, missionaries,
and tourists who came to Thailand as far back as the 16th
century up and as recently as up to the 20th century are
collected in this fascinating book.
Travelers' Tales: Thailand edited by James O'Reilly.
The best of the best have been collected in this anthology of
travel pieces on Thailand, written by real travelers who also
are real writers, some award-winning. Not specific enough to
be a reliable guidebook, but nonetheless, full of good travel
tips, insightful cultural commentary, and enjoyable anecdotes.
Fiction
The Bridge Over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulee. The tale
of a Japanese prison camp in Thailand during World War II.
Basis for the 1957 movie, which won seven Oscars.
Monsoon Country by Pira Sudham. A contemporary novel
that portrays life in the northeast of Thailand.
Anna and the King of Siam by Margaret D. Landon. The
famous musical/movie was based on this book, which tells the
story of a Welsh widow, hired by the King of Siam in 1862 to
teach his many children.
To search for and/or purchase any of the above books online,
go to the following url and put either the title or the author
in the search box:
https://www.angelfire.com/biz/odochartaigh/searchbooks.html
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FILMS
China
China Sky (1945)
Eat Drink Man Woman (1994)
The Emperor and the Assassin (2000)
Empire of the Sun (1987)
Farewell, My Concubine (1993)
The Good Earth (1937)
The Joy Luck Club (1993)
Ju Dou (1989)
The Last Emperor (1987)
Madame Butterfly (1932, also 1992)
Raise the Red Lantern (1991)
Red Corner (1997)
Red Sorghum (1987)
To Live (1995)
The Story of Qiu Ju (1992)
THAILAND
The Bridge Over the River Kwai (1957)
Anna and the King (1999)
Anna and the King of Siam (1946)
The King and I (1956)
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INTERNET WEB SITES
If you have access to the Internet, you may want to check out
the following sites:
CDC (Centers for Disease Control)
http://www.cdc.gov/travel
ATM locators
http://www.visa.com for PLUS ATMs
http://www.mastercard.com for Cirrus ATMs
Foreign exchange rates
http:www.oanda.com/converter/classic
http://www.cnn.com/TRAVEL/CURRENCY
Official tourist board sites
http://www.hkta.org
http://www.tat.or.th/
Tourist information
http://www.cnto.org
http://www.china.trav.net/
http://www.hongkong.com
http://www.thailand.com
http://www.excite.com/travel/countries/name of c
China & the Yangtze
21-Day River CruiseTour
Beijing * Shanghai * Yangtze River Cruising
Xian * Guilin * Hong Kong
With Optional Post-Trip Extension in Bangkok
Overview of Your River CruiseTour - For centuries,
the Yangtze has been China's main thoroughfare for
commerce and culture. Here's your chance to touch the
roots of ancient and modern Chinese civilization through
a blend of land exploration and river cruising. You'll visit
timeless riverside villages, seeing people living much as
they did hundreds of years ago. Visit the capitals of long
ago dynasties with their lovely pagodas, imposing walled
fortifications, and elaborate tombs. Construction on the
Great Wall of China began more than 2,000 years ago, and
symbolizes China's determination to keep foreigners out.
The isolation of this great nation was nearly complete until
very modern history, and Westerners have only just begun
to visit the treasures within the country that was a flourishing
civilization when most of the rest of the world was just
making its way out of the Stone Age. You'll visit China at
an important juncture in its modern history. Hong Kong
reverted to Chinese sovereignty on July 1, 1997, after 150
years as a British Protectorate. Soon, the Three Gorges Dam
will begin filling much of the Yangtze Valley with a 370-mile
reservoir. When complete, this controversial hydroelectric
project will displace 1.25 million people, and submerge 13
cities, 140 towns and 1,352 villages. This river valley is home
to spectacular landscapes of misty mountains, breathtaking
gorges, remarkable canyons, bamboo groves, whirlpools and
lagoons. Along its narrow, cliff-bound passages lie some of
China's greatest cultural treasures -ancient tombs, shrines,
and walls dating to before the time of Christ. These cultural
and natural wonders of this mighty river - the magical landscapes
that have graced the watercolors and scroll paintings of China's
great artists for thousands of years "will be flooded with the
completion in ten years" time of the Three Gorges Dam.