An interesting discussion has developed on the listserve Modern Chinese Literature and Culture (MCLC) run by Kirk Denton. Last week I posted an article from the Village Voice about the attempt by certain influential Hollywood types and others in America to label Beijing 2008 Olympics the "Genocide Olympics". Another list member named Henri Day countered that the "g" word is often used for dubious political purposes, and noted that America's war against Saddam Hussein's regime and subsequent occupation of Iraq has also resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people. Why should the events in Darfur be qualitatively different, was the question raised. He also pointed out that only the US government has officially declared the events in Darfur to be an act of "genocide" (I cannot confirm or deny this--others might know better).
Read MoreSustainable Development and the "Eco-City" of Dongtan near Shanghai
Wired Magazine has published a feature article on the planned eco-community of Dongtan. Dongtan is under development on the eastern edge of Chongming Island, a large island at the mouth of the Yangzi River near Shanghai. It is an experiment in urban sustainability financed by the Shanghai Industrial Investment Corporation and designed by the European firm Arup.
Read MoreResponsible Globalization in Asia and the World
Is globalization a fundamentally destructive process? Does it wreak havoc on the environment, destroy ancient civilizations, and create greater inequalities while enriching a small handful of elites? Or does it provide new opportunities for countless millions, helping to lift them out of poverty? For those of us who study China, the answer is obviously all of the above.
Read MoreStrange Cities: A Multimedia Site on Old Shanghai
Three years ago, while researching the history of jazz music in Shanghai, I discovered that one of Shanghai's most famous bandleaders from the 1930s, a White Russian named Serge Ermoll, had migrated with his family to Sydney. It turns out that his son, also named Serge, is a very accomplished jazz pianist and quite well known here in the jazz community. His granddaughter, Tatiana Pentes, has taken her family history and constructed a wonderful multimedia website incorporating some of her own original collection of photos and documents from her grandparents.
Read MoreAn Interview with Peter Hessler
Peter Hessler is a best-selling author and journalist. He has published two books of non-fiction on China, _River Town_ and _Oracle Bones_. He has also written feature articles on China for _the New Yorker_, _National Geographic_ and other magazines. Last November I met Peter in Beijing while he was researching an article on my friend David Spindler and his Great Wall project. This article was published in the May 21 2007 issue of _the New Yorker_ magazine. After meeting Peter, I was inspired to read his book _River Town_, which recounts his experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer and English teacher in Fuling in 1996-7. I found the book to be an honest, perceptive, and insightful account of what it's like to live in China as a foreigner.
Read MoreDavid Spindler and the Great Wall
This week, tens of thousands of people will be reading Peter Hessler's New Yorkerarticle on David Spindler and his Great Wall project. Here I offer a brief testament in support of David's work.
Read MoreThe Great Wall of China: Article and Film
For several years now, a former classmate of mine from Dartmouth College named David Spindler ('89) has been conducting fieldwork and scholarly research on the history of the Great Wall. Specifically, his interest is in the walls built in the areas north of Beijing during the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in order to protect the capital from Mongol raids.
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