BEIJING CITY GUIDE

Reaktion’s new CityScopes series consists of concise, illustrated guides
that provide a social and urban history from a city’s beginnings to the
present day. Written by authors with unique and intimate knowledge of
each city, these books offer fascinating vignettes on the quintessential
and the quirky. In the first book of the series, Linda Jaivin explores a
city at the heart of one of the world’s oldest civilizations and the
capital of its newest superpower—Beijing. In China’s central city,
Jaivin finds thousands of years of history dating back to our ancestors,
a story that includes dynastic empires, sieges, massacres, rebellions,
and political spectacle.
 
Recounting the lively history of the
city, Jaivin discovers the Peking Man and the capital’s many legendary
incarnations, such as the Cambaluc that Marco Polo wrote about in awe.
She reveals it to be full of charismatic personalities and dramatic
events, a place that has produced some of China’s most iconic works of
literature, theater, and music. She also offers thought-provoking essays
on contemporary topics ranging from the elemental problems of air and
water to the vibrant art scene and the architectural adventurism of the
city’s “hyperbuildings.” Generously illustrated, this guide provides
helpful maps and suggested itineraries as well as practical
recommendations for hotels, restaurants, museums, and other sites.
 
Taking readers to lakeshores, down into the subway, and around the bustling art districts, Beijing is the ultimate introduction to this extraordinary city for travelers and armchair explorers alike.