China

Here is the new China - opening itself up to the free market and building cities that rival Western ones in terms of architecture and technology. Here is also the old China - with its ancient architectural wonders and natural beauty. In this book both are described in fascinating commentary and in astounding colour photographs that show a mix of the ancient and futuristic as China's citizens head into the next millennium by rediscovering their ancient roots. In China, cities with skylines that look like backdrops to sci-fi movies coexist with millennium-old monuments and values that have remained unchanged for centuries. The overpopulated cities of the eastern plains are juxtaposed with the natural marvels of the West, such as the forests and blue lakes of Sichuan, the Himalayan peaks, and the deserts and Blue Mountains of Xinjiang. And there are the Yellow and Yangtze rivers, dividing the country into north and south, and defending the landscape of the Three Gorges celebrated in Chinese literature and painting. This book captures all of this natural and architectural diversity as well as that of China's many people.
Photos of sweeping landscapes together with shots of people going about everyday life - from applying makeup to fishing - are accompanied by texts that explore the ethnic diversity of the people and the range of cities from Zhenghou, the site of archaeological discovery. This latest title in the successful "Wanderer" series, contains lavish photography.