Synopses & Reviews
Traveling more than 14,000 miles by bus and train to the farthest reaches of China, the authors of this narrative explore the minority peoples who dwell there, talking to farmers in their fields, monks in their monasteries, fishermen on their skiffs, and herders on the steppe. Closely observing daily life in these remote regions, they document the many lifestyles and adventures of the Chinese natives-they visit an old Catholic fisherman at a church that has been without a priest for 40 years; they hike around high-altitude Lugu Lake to farm with the matriarchal Mosuo women; and they descend into a dry riverbed to hunt for jade with Muslim Uyghur merchants. This account uncovers surprising truths about China's hidden minorities and their complex position in Chinese society through real discussions, including a heated debate with Ewenki village cadres on human rights and talks with aging hajjis about the Chinese government's razing of their mosque.
Review
"A spectacular achievement reminiscent of early 20th-century anthropological monographs by Margaret Mead and Ruth Benedict, with much to charm readers in search of a travelogue on China's remote border and interior regions." —Publishers Weekly
Review
"Legerton and Rawson eschew flourishes and hew to description in imparting their experiences for travel readers intrigued by China's remote regions." Booklist
Review
"An earnest, revealing travelogue." Kirkus Reviews
Review
"A remarkable look at an extremely complex society." FEAST
About the Author
Colin Legerton graduated from Tufts University with a degree in Chinese language and literature. He spent a year in Urumqi studying Uyghur and mentoring western Chinas only baseball team and later produced Diamond in the Dunes, a documentary film that tells their story. He has worked as a Chinese-English translator and is currently pursuing a masters degree in Central Asian studies at Indiana University, with a focus on Uyghur literature.
Jacob Rawson has lived and studied in Yokohama and Beijing. After graduating from Lewis and Clark College with a degree in Chinese and Japanese languages, he taught at a high school in rural South Korea as a Fulbright fellow. Now back in the States, he has given presentations on Chinas ethnic minorities and the Korean minority in Japan. He is working toward a masters degree in Chinese and Korean linguistics at the University of Washington.