I could understand ignorance, but I could not accept its glorification, still less its right to rule
From Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, by Jung Chang
How many books about China can you read when you travel to such a big country only for a month? And which ones do you read?
The choice is endless.
For one month we traveled to Beijing and to the northeastern provinces of the country (former Manchuria). I based my selection of books on this particular region, which brought me to the following selection. This is by no means a comprehensive list but gave me at least a general idea of the places we were traveling to.
Blog Posts on Northeast China
- Northeast China Travel Guide – Why Visit, Where to Go & How to Travel
- China – Hiking the Great Wall Away From the Crowds
- Harbin City Travel Guide (China): Transportation, Food, and Sightseeing Tips
- Chengde Travel Guide (China): Transportation, Food, & Sightseeing Tips
- Ji’an City Travel Guide (NE China): Transportation, Food, and Sightseeing Tips
- Changchun City Travel Guide (China): Transportation, Food, and Sightseeing Tips
- How to Get a China Visa in Mongolia – The Chinese Embassy in Ulaanbaatar
- Books About China – Travel Memoirs, History, Fiction, Guidebooks
History Books about Northeast China
Over the years I have bought a couple of books by Charles River Editors. They are a perfect buy if you want to have a clear, concise overview of a specific landmark or regional history.
The Forbidden City: The History of the Chinese Imperial Palace of the Ming and Qing Dynasties in Beijing, by Charles River Editors
The Great Wall of China: The History of China’s Most Famous Landmark, by Charles River Editors
Additionally I bought Twilight in the Forbidden City, by Reginald Johnston, the only foreigner in history to be allowed inside the inner court of the Qing Dynasty and shares his experiences there.
Travel Memoirs about Northeast Asia
I didn’t buy these books specifically for China but because of the whole North Asian region we are currently traveling in. These travel memoirs cover parts of Mongolia and China (and two of them Russia as well).
Off the Rails; 10,000 km by bicycle across Russia, Siberia and Mongolia to China, by Chris Hatherlay and Time Cope
Under the Flight Path; 15,000 kms Overland Across Russia, Mongolia & China, by Simon Pridmore
Non-Fiction about China
When China Rules the World: The End of the Western World and the Birth of a New Global Order, by Martin Jacques
Not focused on the region we were traveling in but this book gives a good overview of modern China and a look into the future.
Martin Jacques also gave a TED talk about the topic. Find it here.
The New Asian Hemisphere: The Irresistible Shift of Global Power to the East, by Kishore Mahbubani
Whereas the above-mentioned book focuses on China, this book is about Asia at large in which China obviously plays an important part.
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China, by Jung Chang
Another book that is not about the region but a fascinating true story about three generations of women in the 20th century in China. It sold more than 13 million copies.
Mao: The Unknown Story, by Jung Chang and Jon Halliday
After Wild Swans, Jung Chang wrote another book, this time about Mao. Her bias is tangible throughout the book but nonetheless I found it another fascinating read about a subject I had learned way too little about in school.
Travel Guides for China
(click on the images to look inside)
Products from Amazon
Tips, Suggestions, Feedback?
Do you have suggestions on books about Northeastern China that I should add to my list? I’d love to hear them. Feel free to share them in the comment section below or send me an email. Thanks!
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