I needed something good after that terrible Coelho-experience last week. And I found it in the local library:

An enlightened traveler

Whenever I pick up an old book, like something written during the 19th or 18th century, I feel myself hesitating for a moment, suspecting it to be another slow and painful read.

But this one was a pleasant surprise. The edition I was reading was very lean (94 pages) and comprised a huge and helpful appendix of about 120 pages. I found the style of writing to be straight forward and amusing, making it a fast and enjoyable read.

The story: JCH accompanies the British envoy to the court of 乾隆 (Qian Long) in 北京 (Beijing) and 承德 (Chengde). The itinerary covers most important sites along the coastline, and JCH uses every opportunity to vividly describe his impressions of China, her people and their culture. His observations are very precise, and it is fascinating to read his accounts of traditional music, eating habits, religion, and even random bits about sanitary facilities or the face and character of Emperor 乾隆.

This man seems to have a surprisingly open mind when it comes to foreign cultures – even though his observations are more than 2oo years old, there is rarely ever a trace of that obnoxious condescension and arrogance which has been contaminating European travel literature throughout the last few centuries.

Here’s an excerpt that I found particularly enjoyable and true: “And if the Europeans who are trading here don’t beware of offending the Chinese with their own ways in the future, then the contempt and the public insults that they find themselves exposed to will always increase.”

I think this book should be a must-read for everyone traveling to China today.

A solid eight out of ten.