Crossing the Real America: A Journal of Riding Across the United States

Author: Zhang Dajun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-04-01
Features: Driven by a strong curiosity about American civilization, the author embarked on this long journey. It is well-known that American civilization is a dominant force in the world today, and its vastness is difficult to fully grasp in bookstores and classrooms. As the ancient Chinese saying goes, "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles." Observing, thinking, and experiencing firsthand through travel is also an effective way to understand the intrinsic character and dynamics of American civilization. Especially for a mind long immersed in Eastern civilization, direct contact and discussion may be the best way to avoid misunderstandings. This book presents a close, panoramic view of this novel and distinctive world through the eyes of an Easterner. For most of the journey, the author traveled through the vast rural and mountainous areas of the United States. As he describes in this book, these regions present landscapes, rhythms, and melodies completely different from those of the city. Over the course of more than two months of personal experience, the author's image of America gradually became clearer and more complete. It includes not only the fertile richness of the Mississippi River Valley but also the desolate poverty of the Wyoming desert; not only the Hollywood-style glamour and bustle but also the ordinary quiet of small towns; not only the bustling crowds of the New York metropolis but also the desolate emptiness of rundown western towns; not only the ever-evolving high-tech industries of Silicon Valley but also the unchanging agricultural structure of the Midwest; not only the polite and reserved residents of New England in the northeast but also the rough and bold cowboys of the West; not only the warmth and kindness of the people in the Midwest but also the rough and rude behavior of truck drivers; not only the magnificent and noble mansions of wealthy merchants but also the destitute and bitter lives of street beggars. In short, a real and complete America is a diverse and often contradictory place. The author's journey allows us to gain such a comprehensive understanding of America, and even for this alone, it is undoubtedly successful.