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When the world descend on Beijing for the 2008 Olympics, it will find a city transformed. Old Peking was built in the course of a thousand years, it temples and shrines, palaces and gardens gracing narrow, twisting streets carrying the collective memories of five dynasties. All has now been swept away, replaced by boxy and uniform high-rises, rows of shopping malls, office-tower blocks, and residential developments. Within the span of a single lifetime, the Chinese have buried or bulldozed their history, virtually extinguished the culture of one of the grandest and oldest civilizations.
In City of Heavenly Tranquility, long-time resident and journalist Jasper Becker brings back to life the emperors, eunuchs, courtesans, and warriors who for centuries ruled from behind the red walls of the Forbidden City. Becker mixes his own experiences with poignant stories from those who have tried to preserve China's past, struggling against ruthless officials and a fiercely nationalistic government set on changing the fabric of a nation by jettisoning the past and clearing space for the future. In the process, China's officials are demolishing homes and destroying livelihoods, and evicting over three million residents in Beijing alone.
Written with passion and urgency, City of Heavenly Tranquility recounts the history of one of the world's greatest cities and the tragic tale of it's gradual dissappearance.
In City of Heavenly Tranquility, long-time resident and journalist Jasper Becker brings back to life the emperors, eunuchs, courtesans, and warriors who for centuries ruled from behind the red walls of the Forbidden City. Becker mixes his own experiences with poignant stories from those who have tried to preserve China's past, struggling against ruthless officials and a fiercely nationalistic government set on changing the fabric of a nation by jettisoning the past and clearing space for the future. In the process, China's officials are demolishing homes and destroying livelihoods, and evicting over three million residents in Beijing alone.
Written with passion and urgency, City of Heavenly Tranquility recounts the history of one of the world's greatest cities and the tragic tale of it's gradual dissappearance.