An Armchair Traveller's History of Beijing
An Armchair Traveller's History of Beijing

Author: Jonathan Clements

Publisher: Haus Publishing

Published: 2016-11-15

Total Pages: 71

ISBN-13: 1909961302

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As China’s global influence continues to rise, its capital, Beijing, has become increasingly important—and a popular tourist destination, greeting close to five million international visitors each year. An Armchair Traveller’s History of Beijing presents the capital from its earliest beginnings as a prehistoric campsite for Peking Man through its fluctuating fortunes under a dozen dynasties. Home to capitals of several states over time, the site of modern Beijing has been ruled by Mongolian chiefs and the glorious Ming emperors, whose tombs can still be found on its outskirts. Through Beijing, we can experience Chinese history itself, including its more famous residents—including Khubilai Khan, Mulan, and Marco Polo. Special emphasis is placed on Beijing’s precarious heritage in the twenty-first century, as modern construction wipes out much of the old city to make way for homes for twenty million people. This book also offers detailed information on sites of tourist interest, including the pros and cons of different sections of the Great Wall and the best ways to see the Forbidden City and the fast-disappearing relics of the city’s Manchu and Maoist eras. A chapter on food and drink examines not only local delicacies, but the many other Chinese dishes that form part of Beijing’s rich dining traditions. With its blend of rich history and expert tips, An Armchair Traveller’s History of Beijing is an essential introduction to one of the world’s most remarkable cities.

A Short History of Beijing
A Short History of Beijing

Author: Jonathan Clements

Publisher: Haus Publishing

Published: 2022-07-26

Total Pages: 190

ISBN-13: 1913368475

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A guide to the history of China’s capital, from before its rise to prominence as the seat of empires to the 2022 Winter Olympics. Before China’s capital became a sprawling megacity and international center of business and culture, its fortunes fluctuated under a dozen dynasties. It has been a capital for several states, including those headed by Mongolian chiefs and the glorious Ming emperors, whose tombs can still be found on its outskirts. And before all that, it was a campsite for primitive hominids, known as the Peking Man. A Short History of Beijing tells the story of this remarkable city, from its more famous residents—Khubilai Khan, Marco Polo, and Chairman Mao—right up to the twenty-first century, as modern construction wiped out so much of the old city to make way for its twenty-million-strong population. Through his timely and intimate portrait of the world’s most populous capital city, Jonathan Clements reveals the history of China itself.

An Armchair Traveller's History of Tokyo
An Armchair Traveller's History of Tokyo

Author: Jonathan Clements

Publisher: Haus Publishing

Published: 2019-03-15

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1909961590

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With almost 13 million residents, Tokyo is now as much an icon of modernity as it is a city, with its neon-lit billboards, futuristic technology, and avant-garde fashion scene. But the long and fascinating history of Japan’s modern capital encompasses much, much more, and in An Armchair Traveller’s History of Tokyo, Jonathan Clements sketches the city’s amazing trajectory from its humble beginnings as a group of clearings in a forest on the Kanto plain all the way to its upcoming role as host of the 2020 Olympic Games. Tokyo, meaning “Eastern Capital,” has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Before that, it was a medieval outpost designed to keep watch over rich farmlands. But this seemingly unassuming geographical location ultimately led to its status as a supercity. Though the imperial court ruled Japan from the sleepy city of Kyoto, the landowners of the Kanto plain where Tokyo lies held the true wealth and power in Japan, which they eventually asserted in a series of bloody civil wars. The Tokyo region became the administrative center of Japan’s Shogun overlords and the site of a vibrant urban culture home to theaters, taverns, and brothels. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, it became Japan’s true capital, home to the emperors, the seat of government, and a site of rapid urban growth. Anyone who’s ever longed to look upon Mount Fuji, embody the bravery of the Samurai, or savor the world’s finest sushi will find themselves transported from the comfort of their armchair while reading Clements’s account of Tokyo.

An Armchair Traveller's History of Finland
An Armchair Traveller's History of Finland

Author: Jonathan Clements

Publisher: Haus Publishing

Published: 2014-12-15

Total Pages: 144

ISBN-13: 1909961019

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In the American mind, Finland is often swept up in the general group of Nordic countries, little known and seldom gaining prominence on its own. But as Jonathan Clements shows in An Armchair Traveller’s History of Finland, it has a long and fascinating history, one that offers oddities and excitements galore: from prehistoric herders to medieval lords, Christian martyrs and Viking kings, and the war heroes who held off the Soviet Union against long odds. Clements travels the length of the country as he tells these stories, along the way offering accounts of Finland’s public artworks, literary giants, legends and folktales, and famous figures. The result is the perfect introduction to Finland for armchair and actual travelers alike.

A Short History of the Silk Road
A Short History of the Silk Road

Author: Jonathan Clements

Publisher: Haus Publishing

Published: 2014-01-14

Total Pages: 193

ISBN-13: 1907973826

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The Silk Road is not a place, but a journey, a route from the edges of the Mediterranean to the central plains of China, through high mountains and inhospitable deserts. For thousands of years its history has been a traveller's history, of brief encounters in desert towns, snowbound passes and nameless forts. It was the conduit that first brought Buddhism, Christianity and Islam into China, and the site of much of the "Great Game" between 19th-century empires. Today, its central section encompasses several former Soviet republics, and the Chinese Autonomous Region of Xinjiang. The ancient trade route controversially crosses the sites of several forgotten kingdoms, buried in sand and only now revealing their secrets. An Armchair Traveller's History of the Silk Road not only offers the reader a chronological outline of the region's development, but also provides an invaluable introduction to its languages, literature and arts. It takes a comprehensive and illuminating look at the rich history of this dynamic and littleknown region, and provides an easy-to-use reference source. Clements pays particular attention to the fascinating historical sites which feature on any visitor's itinerary and special emphasis is also given to the writings and reactions of travellers through the centuries.

Beijing Tour Guide
Beijing Tour Guide

Author: Wander Stories

Publisher: WanderStories

Published: 2015-03-04

Total Pages: 2263

ISBN-13: 9949553024

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Dear Traveler, Welcome to the WanderStories™ tour of the top sights in Beijing: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China, the Lama Temple, Beihai Park, the Drum and Bell Towers, the Summer Palace, the Confucius Temple and the Beijing Imperial College, Tiananmen Square, Jingshan Park, the Ming Tombs, the White Cloud Temple, the Tanzhe Temple, the Marco Polo Bridge, and the Tianning Temple. We are now ready to take you on your personal tour of these world famous landmarks. We will also tell you the history of Beijing and several additional stories about Chinese cuisine and table manners, traditions and customs, holidays and festivals, behavior and etiquette, Peking opera, Chinese humor and jokes. We, at WanderStories™, are storytellers. We don’t tell you where to eat or sleep, we don’t intend to replace a typical travel reference guide. Our mission is to be the best local guide that you would wish to have by your side when visiting the sights. So, we meet you at the sight and take you on a tour. WanderStories™ travel guides are unique because our storytelling style puts you alongside the best local guide who tells you fascinating stories and unusual facts recreating the passion and sacrifice that forged the beauty of these places right here in front of you, while a wealth of high quality photos, historic pictures, and illustrations brings your tour vividly to life. Our promise: • when you visit these top sights in Beijing with this travel guide you will have the best local guide at your fingertips • when you read this travel guide in the comfort of your armchair you will feel as if you are actually visiting these top sights in Beijing with the best local guide Welcome to Beijing, Beijing is the capital of the world’s largest nation and one of the most populous cities on earth. Its history is as complex or as simple as you might like it to be. The first mention of Beijing as a city is in records from the Zhou dynasty in the 11th century B.C.E. And there’s no doubt that three thousand years that have passed since then have given the Chinese people plenty of time to shape one of the most unique cities on earth. There is only one thing to do now – visit! Let’s go! Your guide, WanderStories

Beijing Tour Guide Top 10: a travel guide and tour as with the best local guide
Beijing Tour Guide Top 10: a travel guide and tour as with the best local guide

Author: Wander Stories

Publisher: WanderStories

Published: 2015-01-24

Total Pages: 1697

ISBN-13: 9949516978

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Dear Traveler, Welcome to the WanderStories™ tour of the top 10 sights in Beijing: the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven, the Great Wall of China, the Lama Temple, Beihai Park, the Drum and Bell Towers, the Summer Palace, the Confucius Temple and the Beijing Imperial College, Tiananmen Square, and Jingshan Park. We are now ready to take you on your personal tour of these world famous landmarks. We will also tell you the history of Beijing and several additional stories about Chinese cuisine and table manners, traditions and customs, holidays and festivals, behavior and etiquette, Peking opera, Chinese humor and jokes. We, at WanderStories™, are storytellers. We don’t tell you where to eat or sleep, we don’t intend to replace a typical travel reference guide. Our mission is to be the best local guide that you would wish to have by your side when visiting the sights. So, we meet you at the sight and take you on a tour. WanderStories™ travel guides are unique because our storytelling style puts you alongside the best local guide who tells you fascinating stories and unusual facts recreating the passion and sacrifice that forged the beauty of these places right here in front of you, while a wealth of high quality photos, historic pictures, and illustrations brings your tour vividly to life. Our promise: • when you visit these top 10 sights in Beijing with this travel guide you will have the best local guide at your fingertips • when you read this travel guide in the comfort of your armchair you will feel as if you are actually visiting these top 10 sights in Beijing with the best local guide Welcome to Beijing, Beijing is the capital of the world’s largest nation and one of the most populous cities on earth. Its history is as complex or as simple as you might like it to be. The first mention of Beijing as a city is in records from the Zhou dynasty in the 11th century B.C.E. And there’s no doubt that three thousand years that have passed since then have given the Chinese people plenty of time to shape one of the most unique cities on earth. There is only one thing to do now – visit! Let’s go! Your guide, WanderStories

History of Beijing
History of Beijing

Author: Wander Stories

Publisher: WanderStories

Published: 2012-05-15

Total Pages: 66

ISBN-13: 9949516951

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Dear Traveler, Welcome to the WanderStories™ History of Beijing. Beijing is the capital of the world’s largest nation and one of the most populous cities on earth. Its history is as complex or as simple as you might like it to be. The first mention of Beijing as a city is in records from the Zhou dynasty in the 11th century B.C.E. And there’s no doubt that three thousand years that have passed since then have given the Chinese people plenty of time to shape one of the most unique cities on earth. There is only one thing to do now – visit! We, at WanderStories™, are storytellers. We don’t tell you where to eat or sleep, we don’t intend to replace a typical travel reference guide. Our mission is to be the best local guide that you would wish to have by your side when visiting the sights. So, we meet you at the sight and take you on a tour. WanderStories™ travel guides are unique because our storytelling style puts you alongside the best local guide who tells you fascinating stories and unusual facts recreating the passion and sacrifice that forged the beauty of these places right here in front of you, while a wealth of high quality photos, historic pictures, and illustrations brings your tour vividly to life. Our promise: • when you visit Beijing with this travel guide you will have the best local guide at your fingertips • when you read this travel guide in the comfort of your armchair you will feel as if you are actually visiting Beijing with the best local guide Let’s go! Your guide, WanderStories

Beijing Then and Now®
Beijing Then and Now®

Author: Brian Page

Publisher: Rizzoli Publications

Published: 2017-09-01

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 1911216821

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Beijing has several millennia of human history. It has been a city of regional importance for many centuries, first becoming the Chinese imperial capital in 1267. The city has been known by various names through the ages, reflecting a turbulent history of change. As the political and cultural heart of modern China, Beijing has grown dramatically since the Communist revolution of 1949.Beijing Then and Now shows how that dramatic modernization has affected the city and how, despite all the new building and modern infrastructure, some of the great historic sites have been preserved and maintained. Sites include: Deshengmen Arrow Tower, Qianmen Arrow Tower, Qianmen Gate, Entrance to the Imperial City, Mao's Mausoleum, Tiananmen Gate, Duanmen Gate, Entrance to the Forbidden City, Wumen Gate, Hall of Supreme Harmony, Jingshan, Beihai Park, the White Dagoba, Imperial Canal, Drum Tower, Beihai Lake, Bell Tower, Temple of Confucius, Hall of Classics, Imperial Observatory, Qianmen Boulevard, Hall of Prayer, Altar of Heaven, British Legation, Dong Tang, Marble Boat, Jade Belt Bridge, Ming Tombs, Spirit Road and the Great Wall of China.