Part ten in a series Walking into the Beijing Silk Market is like walking into a combat zone. Shopping is a full-contact sport. My colleague, Darwin King, negotiates a price for silk […]
China, Day Ten: Heart-breakers and money-takers
China, Day Nine: Panda diplomacy
Part nine in a series Nothing says “China” quite like a panda. It’s no wonder, then, that the Chinese have used these famous black-and-white faces as emissaries around the world. There’s even […]
China, Day Eight: Mao watch
Part eight in a series Chairman Mao looks a little waxy these days. It isn’t for lack of trying. The Chinese government has gone to great pains to keep him looking fresh—at […]
What do the Chinese think about Americans?
My students, colleagues, and I have been forming an impression of the Chinese during our trip to China these past ten-plus days. But what do the Chinese think of Americans?
China, Day Seven: The capital
Part seven in a series If Shanghai was New York City, then Beijing is Los Angeles. The city sprawls over some nineteen thousand square kilometers—all of which is clouded in smog. The […]
China, Day Six: Wild about Harry
Part six in a series Wu Tao stands at the front of the bus, microphone in hand, radiating charm. Wu “Harry” Tao (right) talks with St. Bonaventure professors Carl Case (left) and […]
China, Day Five: "The Eighth Wonder of the World"
Part five in a series One day, thirty-five years ago, Yang Quanyi found a head in his well. His discovery helped changed the face of China. The date was March 29, 1974. […]
China, Day Four: Back in time
China changes before my eyes as I fly from east to west. Shanghai’s ever-present haze is made even grayer under cloudy skies. But after our flight takes off, we punch through the […]
China, Day Three: Shanghai, the new dawn for China
Third in a series Shanghai wakes up quietly, as if it doesn’t want to rouse its inhabitants. The Shanghai skyline at night along the west bank of the Huangpu River. In Yu […]
China, Day Two: The business of China is business
Part two in a series From space, the road system around Shanghai must look like a bowl of Chinese noodles. But traveling on the roads themselves feels like traveling the straight and […]
