Eastern China is the country's boom-belt and its heart is the Pearl of the Orient, Shanghai, a city which was recently wonderfully described to me as "Hong Kong on steroids." Shanghai is the country's most modern city, but manages to retain both its Chinese and European history and its economic development is also helping a renaissance in culture and the arts, along with a shopping and nightlife scene matched only by Beijing and Hong Kong. Around Shanghai, the Water Towns have picturesque canals lined with classic Ming architecture and can make for great day trips, and a little further out, the city of Suzhou offers more of the same, albeit on a larger scale, along with some of the country's finest gardens and the opportunity for some serious silk shopping. Nearly 100 miles south along the Grand Canal, the former Southern Song dynasty (1126-1279) capital of Hangzhou is set on pretty West Lake and is a prime tea-growing region. Away from the lake the city is much like any other Chinese city, but the surrounding countryside and its smattering of temples and tea villages make for some excellent bike rides. Some 110 miles west of Hangzhou, Huangshan is arguably the most beautiful of eastern China's mountains and offers the region's finest scenery and best hiking. The mountain's mist-shrouded, jagged peaks, lone pines and perched temples are straight from a watercolor and it's no wonder Huangshan attracts so many visitors. But fortunately there are enough paths to ensure you can always find yourself a quiet spot. Known as the Pearl of the Orient, Shanghai has endured a boom-bust cycle like no other city in China and is a must-see for a glimpse into the China of the future. It currently has some 20 million residents. A walk along the Bund on the banks of the Huangpu River offers a cityscape to rival Hong Kong's, taking in the glory of Shanghai's colonial past, while at the same time giving views across the river to the city of tomorrow, Pudong. Less than 20 years ago, this was just marshy farmland, but today it boasts countless skyscrapers, among them China's highest tower, the Pearl Oriental TV Tower, and loftiest lodgings, the 88-floor Grand Hyatt. Traditional Chinese sights are a little sparse due to Shanghai's comparative youth, but its colonial and revolutionary history over the past 150 years has left it with a series of significant political buildings. What is more, there are modern activities aplenty, reflecting the city's dynamic and modern heart -fine dining, nightlife, shopping and a kaleidoscope of exhibition centers and good museums await. This a highly detailed guide to everything you need to know about Shanghai and its surroundings - the places to stay, the restaurants, and what to see and do - along with an extensive introductory section on China as a whole. The author lives in China and has been a tour guide there full-time for close to 10 years. This guide is an excerpt from his much larger guide to all of China, also published by Hunter, which is 650 pages in the print edition.

In Touring China, Yajun Mo explores how early twentieth century Chinese sightseers described the destinations that they visited, and how their travel accounts gave Chinese readers a means to imagine their vast country. The roots of China's tourism market stretch back over a hundred years, when railroad and steamship networks expanded into the coastal regions. Tourism-related businesses and publications flourished in urban centers while scientific exploration, investigative journalism, and wartime travel propelled many Chinese from the eastern seaboard to its peripheries. Mo considers not only accounts of overseas travel and voyages across borderlands, but also trips within China. On the one hand, via travel and travel writing, the unity of China's coastal regions, inland provinces, and western frontiers was experienced and reinforced. On the other, travel literature revealed a persistent tension between the aspiration for national unity and the anxiety that China might fall apart. Touring China tells a fascinating story about the physical and intellectual routes people took on various journeys, against the backdrop of the transition from Chinese empire to nation-state.

The Rough Guide to Beijing is the ultimate travel guide to China's remarkable capital city. From the majestic Forbidden City and maze-like hutong alleys to gorgeous lake-filled parks and the exquisite Summer Palace, this vibrant book - packed full of stunning photography and clear, colour-coded maps - reveals the city's best sights and attractions. And if you fancy taking a trip outside of Beijing, you'll be pointed in the right direction: incredible treks around the Great Wall, ancient villages, imperial hunting parks and fascinating, offbeat museums are all part of the mix. Comprehensive sections detail the very best places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and unwind: check out our author picks and "Beijing's Best" boxes, selecting atmospheric courtyard hotels, stylish bars, edgy art galleries, lively antiques markets, and much more. Expert reviews on film, literature and live music create a rounded and exciting picture of modern Beijing. However long you're staying, and whatever your budget, The Rough Guide to Beijing has you covered.

The new-look Rough Guide to Beijing - now in full colour throughout - is the ultimate travel guide to this endlessly absorbing city. Discover the highlights of China's remarkable capital with stunning photography, colour-coded maps, and insightful descriptions of the city's sights - everything from the Forbidden City and Summer Palace to hidden hutong alleys and the Great Wall. However long you're staying, and whatever your budget, the Rough Guide to Beijing has you covered. Comprehensive sections point the way to the very best places to sleep, eat, drink, shop and unwind - charming courtyard hotels, bustling night markets, edgy bars and glitzy malls are all part of the mix. In addition, expert new sections on film, contemporary art and live music will enable you to take the pulse of modern Beijing. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Beijing. Now available in ePub format.

Fly into Hong Kong and spend a few days discovering its diverse attractions -from shopping in bustling Kowloon to hiking along one of the islands' well-marked lush trails. Eat dim sum downtown and head up Victoria Peak for an after-dinner drink to remember. Take a boat or a train to Guangzhou and sample yet more Cantonese delights, along with some fine colonial architecture, maybe stopping off in modern Shenzhen for a peek at the new China. From Guangzhou, take a bus, train or flight to Guilin and spend a day visiting its mountainous and man-made attractions. The following morning take a boat along the Li River to Yangshuo, where you can spend the next few days hiking and cycling through the famed idyllic limestone scenery. Head back to Guilin for the return flight to Hong Kong. Take the ferry over to Macau and enjoy a day or two soaking up the splendid architecture, fine cuisine, small fishing villages, temples and beaches. Whether flying into the vast, ultra-modern Chek Lap Kok Airport and being whisked into the city center on the hi-tech, ultra-fast Airport Express, or arriving by boat at the China Ferry Terminal, Hong Kong, with its population of seven million, never fails to impress. You instantly know you're somewhere special, particularly the first time you lay eyes on the spectacle of the skyscraper-filled island from the Kowloon side. After weeks or months on the road in China, Hong Kong is the perfect spot for some dining, shopping and splurging. But if it's the great outdoors you're after, there are plenty of hikes and beaches in the territory as well. Hong Kong is a place where even the mildest exploration can offer stark contrast and both traditional Chinese and colonial history lurk beneath the city's slick modern exterior. Whether swimming in the sea or hiking an island trail to a small shrine through lush tropical undergrowth on one of the outlying islands, it's difficult to imagine that the gleaming skyscrapers are only a short boat ride away. Forty miles across the water, Macau also served its time as a colony and its Portuguese history has engendered a laid-back ambiance unique in China, which remains to this day despite a recent building boom. Walking through the architectural monuments of Macau's stunning historic center you'd easily believe you were in Lisbon, were it not for the occasional Taoist temple. Conversely, a trip out to the islands will take you on a journey into Macau's casino-laden future at Cotai and then back to its past amidst the small fishing villages and beaches of yesteryear on Coloane. This a highly detailed guide to everything you need to know about Hong Kong, Macau and their surroundings - the places to stay, the restaurants, and what to see and do - along with an extensive introductory section on China as a whole. The author lives in China and has been a tour guide there full-time for close to 10 years. This guide is an excerpt from his much larger guide to all of China, also published by Hunter, which is 650 pages in the print edition.

Discover hundreds of the most interesting and memorable art experiences from around the world in this stunningly immersive and beautifully illustrated title! Amazing Art Adventures offers us art and culture as an experience both within and beyond the gallery, opening a door to unexpected adventures - art fairs, festivals, installations, art trails, galleries, art islands, monuments, sculpture parks and museums. Aimed at all of us who travel to learn about new places and cultures, the book gathers together hundreds of unforgettable art experiences around the world, acting as an inspirational travel guide for anyone interested in art. From the Lightning Field in New Mexico to an art island in Japan, expert guide Yolanda Zappaterra leads us on a comprehensive, worldwide tour of bucket list destinations for every season. Divided into sections by continent, the book is a thrilling cultural journey, an insider’s guide to the visual arts that suggests different ways to experience art beyond the usual galleries and institutions, leads readers to art in unusual places, creates trails that will give insights into the lives of famous artists as well as putting the spotlight on more interesting and unknown works in well known museums. Through more than 400 entries, plus photographs and maps, the book expands our understanding and appreciation of the world’s art in exciting new ways. Uncover a Chagall masterpiece in a tiny Kentish church Follow a land art map of North America from the Spiral Jetty and Lightning Fields to Seven Magic Mountains and the Star Axis Trip the light fantastic at the Atelier des Lumières in Paris Delight in the sinuous curves of Oscar Niemeyer’s MAC in Rio de Janeiro Lay your head in a very arty bed at the aha Shakaland Hotel & Zulu Cultural Village Be dazzled by recycled ceramics at the Rock Garden of Chandigarh in northern India Exercise body and mind with a walk along London’s Art Line Be blown away by Tacoma’s Museum of Glass Trek into the Brazilian rainforest for art in the jungle at the Inhotim Art Museum Sample big cheeses in Switzerland at Art Basel Cross the Seto Inland Sea to land at the art island of Naoshima in Japan Walk among the gods and monsters of Niki de Saint Phalle’s Tuscan Tarot Garden Commune with a unicorn at the Met Cloisters in New York See the seeds of Africa’s future art scene in a former grain silo at the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary African Art in Cape Town Enter a field of light in Uluru, Australia

A reference guide to those must-see places all over the globe. The book covers 501 must-visit destinations, ranging from remote hideaways and tropical islands to bustling cities, breathtaking monuments and stunning landscapes across the world. Stunning photography sits alongside informative text and a summary of don't-miss features of each site.