My China Eye


Book Description

This sweeping, eighty-year memoir is the last work of veteran journalist Israel Epstein (1915-2005), one of the very few Western writers to experience the Chinese Communist Revolution firsthand. Born in Poland and raised in China, Epstein served as a war correspondent from the front lines of the Chinese War of Resistance against Japan, as well as during the Communist-Nationalist struggle. Inspired by the immense social revolution taking place, Epstein took Chinese citizenship, only to be imprisoned during the Cultural Revolution. During this dark period, Epstein found his ideals challenged in ways he never imagined, yet his lifelong struggle for social equality has never wavered. This powerful memoir resonates with some of the twentieth century's most turbulent years and is a fascinating read for anyone interested in Chinese history.




Britain's Chinese Eye


Book Description

This book traces the intimate connections between Britain and China throughout the nineteenth century and argues for China's central impact on the modern British visual imagination through a study of gardens, blue and white willow plates, the opium den, and the photograph, and literary texts.




In the Eye of the China Storm


Book Description

Born in Vancouver in 1920 to immigrant parents, Lin became a passionate advocate for China while attending university in the United States. With the establishment of the People's Republic, and growing Cold War sentiment, Lin abandoned his doctoral studies, moving to China with his wife and two young sons. He spent the next fifteen years participating in the country's revolutionary transformation. In 1964, concerned by the political climate under Mao and determined to bridge the growing divide between China and the West, Lin returned to Canada with his family and was appointed head of McGill University's Centre for East Asian Studies. Throughout his distinguished career, Lin was sought after as an authority on China. His commitment to building bridges between China and the West contributed to the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China in 1970, to US President Richard Nixon's visit to China in 1972, and to the creation of numerous cultural, academic, and trade exchanges. In the Eye of the China Storm is the story of Paul Lin's life and of his efforts - as a scholar, teacher, business consultant, and community leader - to overcome the mutual suspicion that distanced China from the West. A proud patriot, he was devastated by the Chinese government's violent suppression of student protestors at Tiananmen Square in June 1989, but never lost faith in the Chinese people, nor hope for China's bright future.




The Chinese Eye


Book Description

This book, first published in 1935, examines the world of Chinese painting: the background, styles, audience and reception, intentions and achievements. Written with a Western readership in mind, it intends to put Chinese visual art in the perspective of its history and culture, and clarify its ideas and meanings.




From Darkness to Sight


Book Description

From Darkness to Sightchronicles the remarkable life journey of Dr. Ming Wang, a world-renowned laser eye surgeon and philanthropist. As a teenager, Ming fought valiantly to escape one of history''s darkest eras - China''s Cultural Revolution - during which millions of innocent youth were deported to remote areas to face a life sentence of poverty and hard labor. Through his own tenacity and his parents'' tireless efforts to provide a chance of freedom for their son, Ming eventually made his way to America with $50 in his pocket and an American dream in his heart, where against all odds he would earn a PhD in laser physics and graduate magna cum laude with the highest honors from Harvard Medical School and MIT. He embraced his Christian faith and tackled one of the most important questions of our time - Are faith and science friends or foes? - which led to his invention of a breakthrough biotechnology to restore sight. To date, Dr. Wang has performed over 55,000 eye procedures and has treated patients from nearly every state in the U.S. and from over 55 countries worldwide. He is considered the "doctor''s doctor," as he has operated on over 4,000 physicians. Dr. Wang has published 8 textbooks including a paper in the world-renowned journal Nature, holds several U.S. patents and performed the world''s first laser artificial cornea implantation. He is the recipient of the Honor Award from American Academy of Ophthalmology and the Lifetime Achievement Award from American Chinese Physician Association. Dr. Wang is currently the only surgeon in the state who performs 3D LASIK (18+), 3D Forever Young Lens Surgery (45+), 3D Laser KAMRA (45+), and 3D Laser Cataract Surgery (60+). Dr. Wang established a non-profit foundation which provides sight restoration surgeries for indigent patients who otherwise would never have the opportunity to receive them free-of-charge. This is a story of one man''s inspirational journey, of turning fear, poverty, persecution and prejudice into healing and love for others. It demonstrates how focus, determination, humility, and profound faith can inspire a life that, in turn, impacts that of countless others. "Dr. Wang is not only a dear friend and the very best eye surgeon, he is also one of the greatest people I have ever known." - Dolly Parton "To try to put my feelings about Dr. Wang, his accomplishments, his courage, his iron will and his faith into a couple of sentences would be tantamount to packing a Mack truck into a burlap bag. This remarkable man overcame all but impossible odds to become the best in his field and this world is a better place for having Dr. Ming Wang pass through it." - Charlie Daniels. "I have known Dr. Wang for nearly two decades - he is a respected eye surgeon and friend. What Ming has done with his life since arriving here in the United States as a penniless student over 30 years ago exemplifies the true essence of the American dream, and the freedom that we enjoy in this great country. I highly recommend his autobiography, From Darkness to Sight." - Senator William H. Frist, MD, former U.S. Senate Majority Leader "If I didn''t know Ming, it would be hard to believe the story of his life. But I do know him, and his life truly is a remarkable story of faith, persistence, and excellence." - Bill Haslam, Governor of the state of Tennessee "Ming Wang is well-known for the eye surgeries he''s performed to give countless people better sight. And it''s hard to forget that he''s also a ballroom dancer once you''ve seen one of his ads on TV. But what many people don''t know is that Dr. Wang also gives very generously of his time and talents so that blind children in other countries can regain their sight. What better gift can you give someone? Nashville is lucky to be able to count Dr. Wang as one of our own." - Karl Dean, Mayor, Nashville "My deeply respected friend, Dr. Ming Wang, has topped the heights of human achievement. Through his personal and professional triumphs he has captured the essence of what it means to be free and to be a loving humanitarian. The story of his unique life, as only he can tell it, will be a blessing and an inspiration to all who come to know it." - Former governor of Tennessee Dr. Winfield Dunn "From Darkness to Sight is an inspiring story that shows how hard work, optimism and faith not only can lead to personal success, but also make our country stronger. Dr. Ming Wang''s journey from dark days in Communist China to his career in the United States as a physician and philanthropist is a testament to the possibilities of the American Dream." - Senator Lamar Alexander




Foreigners under Mao


Book Description

The book examines the lives of six different groups of Westerners: ‘foreign comrades’ who made their home in Mao’s China, twenty-two former Korean War POWs who controversially chose China ahead of repatriation, diplomats of Western countries that recognized the People’s Republic, the few foreign correspondents permitted to work in China, ‘foreign experts’, and language students. Each of these groups led distinct lives under Mao, while sharing the experience of a highly politicized society and of official measures to isolate them from everyday China. ‘This book is enjoyable and engaging. The author introduces a small but dynamic collection of enthusiastic international participants in post-1949 China showing unquestioned loyalty to Mao’s ideals. Equally intriguing are the alternate stories of diplomats and reporters existing far outside the mainstream of Chinese life and trusted by neither the Chinese nor the international supporters.’ —Edgar A. Porter, Professor Emeritus, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University; author of The People’s Doctor: George Hatem and China’s Revolution ‘A well-written survey about the variety of Westerners who lived and worked in the People’s Republic of China between 1949 and 1976. This is a welcome addition to the “sojourner” literature about foreigners who lived in twentieth-century socialist countries. The scholarship, which includes the review of memoirs, archival materials, and secondary works, is impressive and comprehensive.’ —Stephen R. MacKinnon, Arizona State University; co-author of China Reporting: An Oral History of American Journalism in the 1930s and 1940s




China's Tibet?


Book Description

This groundbreaking book explores China's efforts to assimilate Tibet, in the process rewriting Tibetan history to conform to Beijing's goals. Warren W. Smith Jr. provides the historical context for understanding the current situation through an overview of China's actual--as opposed to its promised--policies toward Tibet over time. His clear-eyed appraisal of Chinese policy convincingly shows that the PRC's ultimate intention is assimilation rather than autonomy. The author argues that Beijing fears that any genuine autonomy or dialogue with the Dalai Lama will fuel renewed nationalism in "China's Tibet," as the Chinese leadership calls its possession. The book highlights China's past and current propaganda on Tibet to demonstrate China's sensitivity and defensiveness regarding the legitimacy of its rule. It traces the history of Sino-Tibetan dialogue to show how China has tried to use it to defuse Tibetan exile and international criticism, while making no concessions in regard to Tibetan autonomy. In the absence of any solution, Smith advocates the promotion of Tibet's right to self-determination as the most viable strategy for sustaining international attention and maintaining the most essential elements of Tibetan national identity. Smith's thoroughly informed work will be valuable not only to Tibet experts and students, but also to the larger world of Tibet activists, sympathizers, and others attempting to understand China's policies.




China in Ten Words


Book Description

From one of China’s most acclaimed writers: a unique, intimate look at the Chinese experience over the last several decades. Framed by ten phrases common in the Chinese vernacular, China in Ten Words uses personal stories and astute analysis to reveal as never before the world’s most populous yet oft-misunderstood nation. In "Disparity," for example, Yu Hua illustrates the expanding gaps that separate citizens of the country. In "Copycat," he depicts the escalating trend of piracy and imitation as a creative new form of revolutionary action. And in "Bamboozle," he describes the increasingly brazen practices of trickery, fraud, and chicanery that are, he suggests, becoming a way of life at every level of society. Witty, insightful, and courageous, this is a refreshingly candid vision of the "Chinese miracle" and all of its consequences.




Lily Briscoe's Chinese Eyes


Book Description

A map of the mutual influence of Bloomsbury, the Crescent Moon Society, and modernism in English and Chinese culture Lily Briscoe's Chinese Eyes traces the romance of Julian Bell, nephew of Virginia Woolf, and Ling Shuhua, a writer and painter Bell met while teaching at Wuhan University in China in 1935. Relying on a wide selection of previously unpublished writings, Patricia Laurence places Ling, often referred to as the Chinese Katherine Mansfield, squarely in the Bloomsbury constellation. In doing so, she counters East-West polarities and suggests forms of understanding to inaugurate a new kind of cultural criticism and literary description. Laurence expands her examination of Bell and Ling's relationship into a study of parallel literary communities—Bloomsbury in England and the Crescent Moon group in China. Underscoring their reciprocal influences in the early part of the twentieth century, Laurence presents conversations among well-known British and Chinese writers, artists, and historians, including Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, G. L. Dickinson, Xu Zhimo, E. M. Forster, and Xiao Qian. In addition, Laurence's study includes rarely seen photographs of Julian Bell, Ling, and their associates as well as a reproduction of Ling's scroll commemorating moments in the exchange between Bloomsbury and the Crescent Moon group. While many critics agree that modernism is a movement that crosses national boundaries, literary studies rarely reflect such a view. In this volume Laurence links unpublished letters and documents, cultural artifacts, art, literature, and people in ways that provide illumination from a comparative cultural and aesthetic perspective. In so doing she addresses the geographical and critical imbalances—and thus the architecture of modernist, postcolonial, Bloomsbury, and Asian studies—by placing China in an aesthetic matrix of a developing international modernism.




Deng Xiaoping and the Transformation of China


Book Description

Winner of the Lionel Gelber Prize National Book Critics Circle Award Finalist An Economist Best Book of the Year | A Financial Times Book of the Year | A Wall Street Journal Book of the Year | A Washington Post Book of the Year | A Bloomberg News Book of the Year | An Esquire China Book of the Year | A Gates Notes Top Read of the Year Perhaps no one in the twentieth century had a greater long-term impact on world history than Deng Xiaoping. And no scholar of contemporary East Asian history and culture is better qualified than Ezra Vogel to disentangle the many contradictions embodied in the life and legacy of China’s boldest strategist. Once described by Mao Zedong as a “needle inside a ball of cotton,” Deng was the pragmatic yet disciplined driving force behind China’s radical transformation in the late twentieth century. He confronted the damage wrought by the Cultural Revolution, dissolved Mao’s cult of personality, and loosened the economic and social policies that had stunted China’s growth. Obsessed with modernization and technology, Deng opened trade relations with the West, which lifted hundreds of millions of his countrymen out of poverty. Yet at the same time he answered to his authoritarian roots, most notably when he ordered the crackdown in June 1989 at Tiananmen Square. Deng’s youthful commitment to the Communist Party was cemented in Paris in the early 1920s, among a group of Chinese student-workers that also included Zhou Enlai. Deng returned home in 1927 to join the Chinese Revolution on the ground floor. In the fifty years of his tumultuous rise to power, he endured accusations, purges, and even exile before becoming China’s preeminent leader from 1978 to 1989 and again in 1992. When he reached the top, Deng saw an opportunity to creatively destroy much of the economic system he had helped build for five decades as a loyal follower of Mao—and he did not hesitate.