 |
City of Heavenly Tranquility: Beijing in the History of China
Becker, Jasper
6.25 x 9.5", xi, 371 pp., 15 b/w illustrations, 2 maps, bibliography, sources and notes, boards, d.j., New York, 2008.
Weaving reportage with historical analysis, China expert Jasper Becker deftly illustrates the dynamic transformation of one of the world's oldest and most fascinating cities.
Old Peking was built in the course of a thousand years, its temples and shrines, palaces and gardens gracing narrow, twisting streets carrying the collective memories of five dynasties. All have been swept away, replaced by boxy and uniform high-rises, rows of shipping malls, office-tower blocks and residential developments. Within the span of a single lifetime, the Chinese have buried or bulldozed their history, virtually extinguishing the culture of one of the grandest and olest civilizations.
In City of Heavenly Transquility, long-time resident and journalist Jasper Becker brings back to life the emperors, eunuchs, courtesans, and warriors who for centuries ruled from behind the red walls of the Forbidden City. Becker mixes his own experiences with poignant stories from those who have tried to preserve China's past, struggling against ruthless officials and a fiercely nationalistic government set on changing the fabric of a nation by jettisoning the past and clearing space for the future. In the process, China's officials are demolishing homes and destroying livelihoods, and evicting over three million residents in Beijing alone.
|
|
