China by Misha Beletsky

Celestial Realm: The Yellow Mountains of China

Photography by Wang Wusheng Text by Wu Hung, Damian Harper, and Seigo Matsuoka ISBN 978-0-7892-0867-5 $55.00

China Revealed: An Extraordinary Journey of Rediscovery By Basil Pao ISBN 978-0-7892-0947-4 $60.00

India: Journey through the Heart of a Continent

Text by Olivier Germain-Thomas Photographs by Roland and Sabrina Michaud ISBN 978-0-7892-0869-9 $75.00

Wonders of the Indian Wilderness By Erach Bharucha ISBN 978-0-7892-0999-3 $185.00

ABBEVILLE PRESS 137 Varick Street New York, NY 10013 1-800-A rtb o ok (in U.S. only) Available wherever fine books are sold Visit us at www.abbeville.com Printed in China

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CHINA

A L S O AVA I L A B L E F R O M ABBEVILLE PRESS

CHINA

P hoto gr ap h y/Tr av el

CHINA C h i ef Editor : Guang Guo C h i ef P hoto gr ap h er : Ming Tan

The 238 breathtaking color photographs in this luxuriously sized book take us on a visual tour of China’s most spectacular scenery and the chief monuments of its 5,000-year-old civilization. These remarkable images show us the country’s most famous landmarks—like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall, and the terracotta army of the First Qin Emperor—as we have never seen them before, and provide us a with a spectacular introduction to less familiar but just as fascinating sights, like the multicolored travertine lakes of Huanglong Valley, the beautiful calligraphic inscriptions on the rugged rocks of Mount Taishan, and the striking postmodern skyscrapers that stud the skylines of China’s dynamic cities. Extended captions at the back of the book provide a concise introduction to each of the forty-four locales depicted, twentyeight of which have been designated as World Heritage sites by UNESCO. But this beautiful volume is not only a celebration of the natural and cultural wonders that have made China the most popular tourist destination in Asia and one of the four most popular in the world overall; it is also a collector’s item in its own right. With its oversized panoramic format, twelve stunning gatefolds, and handsome slipcase, China is a testament to the book designer’s art. Furthermore, every copy comes with one of ten different signed and numbered digital photographic prints, suitable for framing; each of these ten memorable prints is strictly limited to an edition of only three hundred. In short, China is the ultimate gift for travelers, connoisseurs of photography, and anyone with an interest in the Middle Kingdom.

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FOREWORD What is China really like? It all depends on how you look at it.

introduced into China, was gradually accepted and assimilated into

On the one hand, China is very ancient, and unique among world

the Chinese culture. The Temple, Cemetery, and Family Residence

cultures, its great river of civilisation has been flowing, freely and

of Confucius, a huge architectural complex as impressive as the

continuously, for several thousand years. On the other hand, China

Royal Palace, echo the spirit of hierarchy and balance inherent in the

is very young, with its cities, towns and villages brimming with

Confucian “Doctrine of the Mean”. Amazingly splendid and majestic,

youthful energy in the midst of all the pressures of life. China looks

the Forbidden City is known more for the grandeur and harmony

magnificent, a land of extreme natural beauty filled with mighty

of its whole architectural complex than the focus on individual

mountains, great rivers and deep valleys. And China looks lovely,

buildings, featuring a clearly structured layout and well defined

with elegant gardens and rural views, which speak volumes about

functions. Mysterious, magniﬁcent or aesthetically beautiful as they

the Chinese people’s desire for an idyllic life. China-so vast and so

are, these man-made wonders are all miracles created by the human

full of contradictions, is an existence that bear witness to the all-

spirit, incorporating the fundamental elements of the Chinese

encompassing Chinese culture and its ideal of “Universal Harmony”.

tradition that emphasise unity and harmony-an ethical balance and a

The remote ancestors of the Chinese people left behind a wealth

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welcoming heart that embraces all, as the sea accepts all rivers.

of gifts. The grand and glorious Yungang Grottoes evidence how

Some other sights in China are equally wonderful examples of

Buddhist art, with distinctive Indian and Persian styles when first

harmonious coexistence between man and nature: the Yuanyang

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