• In Their Footsteps

• You could always base your China journey around the route of some great traveller or a favourite character from literature. This gives an excuse to re-read your favourite book or books and to do some further detailed research whilst you are at it. The more you investigate the more that the journey will become personal to you.

  Here are some suggestions. The list is not meant to be exhaustive. If you would like to add suggestions of your own then please email them.

  Marco Polo

  Perhaps the most controversial 'visitor' to China. Did he? Didn't he? Where did he get all his detail? Why did he miss such important aspects?

  You can form your own opinion by revisiting some of the sites that he mentions, or just use his route as an excuse to put together a China Journey of your own.

  Ella Maillart

  The Forbidden Journey recounts Ella's classic journey with Peter Fleming from Peking (as it was then) all the way to Kashmir via what is now Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region. They took seven months to cross some of the least known lands of that era; these still receive few visitors and make for an exciting prospect.

  Joseph Needham

  Simon Winchester's book "The Man Who Loved China" contains details of this professor's travels around China during the Second World War. He had a very particular purpose for being there; you could try to retrace some of his steps - with a lot less difficulty and danger than 70 years ago.

  Simon has written many other books of interest. "The River At The Center Of The World" could also provide the basis for another China Journey.

  Rob Gifford

  Rob Travelled from Shanghai to Kazakhstan along China's Route 312. You need not complete the entire route to re-discover some of the points of interest that he uncovers in this contemporary review of the developing China.

  Here are some suggestions based on authors who deal with issues in China:

  Peter Hopkirk

  Peter Hopkirk has written many books about the politics and exploration of Asia.

  The books by Peter Hopkirk introduce a wide range of explorers and other characters and, therefore, a good starting point for any research - especially for anyone interested in a more thorough look at the various Silk Roads.

  Gavin Menzies

  The books "1421" and "1434" have raised a very interesting question: did Chinese fleets explore the world before the Europeans?

  Gavin presents a host of evidence to suggest that treasure fleets did indeed sail worldwide, even to the Americas, before Columbus. Along the way he introduces the eunuch Admiral Zheng He a figure long forgotten in Chinese history due to court intrigue. Is this a name that will become better known in future history lessons? Who was he and where was he based?

  John Man

  John Man has written a number of books explaining the history of Asia, including major attractions in China. His style is easy to read and his narrative packed full of suggestions for interesting places to visit.

  Here are some suggestions from the world of fiction:

  Journey To The West

  The monk Xuanzang walked from Chang'an (present day Xi'an) to India (even to Sri Lanka) and returned with original copies of Buddhist scriptures. A remarkable journey that could well have gone into the top category. We have included it here as the fictional account by Wu Cheng'en known as "Journey To The West" or "Monkey" is considerably more famous. Many of the places from the story were inspired by real places and it can be fun trying to locate and visit some of these within your time available.

  Flashman And The Dragon

  This Victorian hero meets up with the rebels of the Taiping Rebellion and takes part in many actual events, such as the Burning of the Summer Palace in Beijing, that add to the authenticity of the story-line. His route takes in many popular cities - you would just have a more valid reason for exploring these if trying to retrace his fictional footsteps.

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• Current Comments

  2 comments so far (post your own)

  Hi Chloe
  
  This topic is proving popular so we will revisit it and add more authors over the winter. Thank you for your suggestion.

  Posted by China Journeys on Thu 8 Dec, 2011

  I think you should include Peter Hessler. I read his Country Driving and would really like to get to some of those places

  Posted by Chloe on Wed 7 Dec, 2011

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