Single Planet Review

       Chinese language publishers are now starting to produce good guide books, notably a growing series by Zito, but for pesky foreigners there remains very little. Juliet Bredon's 1922 book "Peking" is probably still the best overall guide, and the China Blue Guide is also worth reading, but it is dry. I know many people who have built up a collection of articles from a variety of magazines, including China Pictorial, the excellent China Tourism (actually published in Hong Kong), and magazines such as That's Beijing and Beijing Today.

       At long last, though, a really interesting book has appeared "Encounters with Ancient Beijing" by Virginia Stibbs Anami (ISBN 7508503813) published by China Intercontinental Press. Its subtitle is 'Its Legacy in Trees, Stone and Water' and is a well written account of many of the architectural and landscape details of Beijing. Its 330 pages are simply crammed with information about the city, and what makes it even more readable is interviews with what the author calls 'Unforgettable People': ordinary Beijing folk who have some link with the trees, stone and water of the city. The photographs are good, and - shock! horror! - it has an index. Is this the first book published in China to have an index?

       Within days of buying it, Virginia Stibbs Anami's wonderfully written book has become my favourite, relegating Juliet Bredon to the bookshelf when I go out for the day.