Young China review

Dychtwald’s writes well and his sentences have a neat flowing rhythm to them, although he jumps from topic to topic — back and forth — and does so even within the twelve loosely-bundled chapters of the book. ‘Young China’ feels like a loosely weaved net of anecdotes, which are rich in detail and probably representative for the millennial generation (in tier one cities). Yet the book does lack an overal storyline, and doesn’t answer its own promise on ‘how the restless generation will change their country and the world’. Whilst entertaining and insightful, its biggest flaws is that it doesn’t rise beyond the recent stereotype of Westerners in China who write a book about their friends (such as Street of Eternal Happiness and Wish Lanterns). Those new to Sinology (the study of China) will enjoy learning many new things — but for those similar to the subject, Young China will feel repetitive.

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The Last Road To Zaotai

The Last Road To Zaotai

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The Path and Meaning

The Path and Meaning

“We walk down the path in Xikeng.” Three years ago, I started a note with that sentence. We visited a row of villages in the south of Zhejiang, and Xikeng (西坑) was at the end of the day — the least touristified town of them all. The village had dozens of old buildings, sliced by […]
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Kunshan Diorama

Kunshan Diorama

Today, I’m visiting Zhengyi Old Street (正仪老街) in Kunshan — a city wedged in between Suzhou and Shanghai. This old street is a leftover slice in between other parts properly planned by the city. On the horizon, I can see construction cranes, as if they are threatening the area; ‘we are coming to you next’. […]
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Hyperreality

Hyperreality

It’s 06:30 in the morning and I’m driving to the San Gabriel Mountains, north of Los Angeles. I’ve been trying to sleep after an exhausting week at CES, but I’m too excited for this hike and can’t wait to depart the Airbnb we’re in. Every visit to the United States is an adventure. The most […]
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