"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)