Charming Xiamen

Author: (USA) Pan Weilian
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-06-01
Features: This book introduces the history, customs, and culture of Xiamen from the perspective of a foreign friend. It provides vivid and detailed descriptions of aspects of Xiamen that interest foreigners, such as its climate, local cuisine, and tourist attractions. The writing is fluent, light, and humorous, and it positively acknowledges the achievements of Xiamen since its reform and opening up. It is an excellent foreign-language book for promoting Xiamen. The book is written in English and divided into three parts: Part one introduces the history, culture, trade, and natural environment of Xiamen; the second part introduces other scenic spots in Fujian; the third part covers Xiamen's cuisine, festivals, shopping, customs, and more.
About the Author: About the Author, from 1976 to 1978, Bill Brown was a young airman in the U.S. Air Force in Taiwan, never dreaming that 10 years later, he and his wife and son would settle on the opposite side of the Taiwan Strait in the ancient city of Amoy. When asked why he moved to China, Bill said, "Because Chinese food is too expensive in America." In 1994, the Browns set out to explore their second home by driving their van, "Toyota," around 40,000 kilometers across China—up the coast, through the Gobi Desert, over the Himalayan heights to Tibet, and back. They were impressed by the scale and pace of change in every corner of China and loved the food (but didn’t care for Tibetan buttered tea). But 40,000 kilometers of driving taught the Browns that there is no place like home—especially when home is the magical island of Amoy.