Beijing Walks: Exploring the Heritage

Don Cohn

Odyssey, 2008 - Beijing (China) - 384 pages

Ever since Marco Polo published his wide-eyed report on Khanbaligh, or Cambaluc, the city of the Mongol khans, Peking--as Beijing has been known for most of the past 300 years--has captured the Western imagination as few other ancient cities have. "Beijing Walks" presents six detailed walking tours of the most important historic quarters of the Chinese capital--the Forbidden City, the former Legation Quarter, Beihai Park, the Temple of Heaven, the Confucius Temple, and the Summer Palace. All tours are placed in their imperial contexts and enlivened with drawings and photographs. Cohn offers vital information on everything from feng shui, Pekingese dogs, and Peking duck to Peking Opera and the emperors' private lives, evoking the sights, sounds, and smells of old Peking, its pleasures and its grandeur. - Imbued with the charm of life in imperial times - First-hand experience from a China afficionado - When to go, including the advantages of off-season travel - Antiques and curios - Chinese-English index - Stylish maps for each walk -115 color photos and 17 maps

About the author

Don J. Cohn lived in Beijing for five years and has visited the city over 200 times since 1979. As a China scholar, he has written, edited, or translated over 50 books, articles, and reviews on many aspects of Chinese culture. He now divides his time between New York, Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, and Hong Kong.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Beijing Walks: Exploring the Heritage; Odyssey Beijing Walks; Odyssey Books and Guide Series
• Author: Don Cohn
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Odyssey, 2008
• ISBN: 962217762X, 9789622177628
• Length: 384 pages