Monday, December 6, 2010

China's Route 66?

Just finished reading China Road by journalist Rob Gifford. The road refers to Route 312 which runs from Shanghai on the east coast to the border with Kazakhstan in the far north-west. It was his last China journey after living in the country for many years before returning to the UK. It was also, of course, a narrative on the huge changes that have swept across China, from booming east coast to the much poorer provinces the further inland he goes. It's also about politics, migration and the interesting people he meets along the way. There are scores of books like this but Gifford's is the best I've read so far. It helps that he speaks fluent mandarin, enabling him to get under the skin of China. Next!

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