The River At The Centre Of The World
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Average rating3.5
The mighty Yangtze splits China in two, between the wheat-growing North and the rice-growing South; almost 500 million people live and work along its banks. In this compelling book, award-winning writer Simon Winchester and his plucky companion Lily travel upstream all the way from bustling cosmopolitan Shanghai to Tibet, deeper and deeper into almost inaccessible territory and the hidden recesses of early Chinese history. Their 3,900-mile journey takes them past the magnificent Three Gorges, soon to be the site of the world's largest hydroelectric dam, through jungles, grasslands, high plains, polluted industrial landscapes and ice-covered mountain ranges. Winchester sketches in the background, describes a host of strange encounters and vividly reveals the harsh realities of today's China. There could be no more enthralling account of the greatest river on earth.
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Inspired by Ten Thousand Li up the Yangzi River by Wang Hui, a 53 foot long scroll painting, Winchester decides to travel from mouth to source of the Yangtze River, a journey of some 3900 miles.
The trip was undertaken mid 90's which is relevant for the water levels and accessibility of the river, as the Three gorges Dam was partly constructed, but at this point only quite low.
Well written, and kept at an enjoyable pace, the intent was the further up the river he travelled, the further back in history the story would delve. It sort of worked out that was, but of course the story was influenced by the geography.
He does a fine job of briefly telling some of the history of the region and of China in general, and does a good job of explaining the often complex situations in a readable and understandable way.
This, like most of his other travel works is a success for me. From those books of his that I have read so far, this is probably his best along with Krakatoa.
